Conquered Hearts
by amariys
Summary: Medieval!AU. Their first meeting happened in battlefield. They were standing on the opposite sides of the war. Commandant General Aomine Daiki knew the only way to have General Kise Ryouta was to win him as spoil of war. However, it was not only Kise's body Aomine wanted. He wanted to conquer Kise's heart too. Kise was not happy with his wish.
1. Battlefield

**Title: **Conquered Hearts

**Writer: **Amariys

**Words count: **2469 words

**Fandom/Characters: **Kuroko no Basket/Most of Kurobasu's characters.

**Pairing(s): **AoKise and others side pairings.

**Disclaimer: **Kuroko no Basket is not mine. No trademark infringement or profit meant from the writing of this story.

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Medieval!AU. Their first meeting happened in battlefield. They were standing on the opposite side. Commandant General Aomine Daiki knew the only way to have General Kise Ryouta was to win him as spoil of war. However, it was not only Kise's body Aomine wanted. He wanted to conquer Kise's heart too. Kise was not happy with his wish.

**A/N: **PLEASE READ. This is my very first time trying to write this genre, so I apologize for any incorrect history that might appear. I did research before writing this story, but I don't want to limit my imagination based on reality. That's the reason this story is called fiction. This story will not be updated regularly, as it's a new thing for me and I'm still struggling to fit the plots with the world and situation here. Please be patient for me. Also, I really need a beta for this story. Especially one that can give me insight of how to develop the story better. If anyone is interested, please PM me or just tell me in review.

Thank you for reading my A/N. Do tell me what you think of this idea in review. I really need to know what people think of this story so I can decide to continue it or not.

**Warnings: **self-edited, blood, sex, slight gore, betrayals, all the good stuffs.

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Battlefield was one messy place. There would be no happiness found there. The sight that would be seen was one filled with despair. What once was lush, green hill or valley turned into mass graveyard with bloody lifeless bodies scattered around. The smell of blood was strong, washing away anything else until it would be burned permanently into memory.

Aomine Daiki grinned in predatory manner when he first arrived at the battlefield. He was the commandant general for Touou kingdom. His armor was carved with the kingdom's sigil on the back: a black panther roaring painted on blood red background. His body thrummed delightfully with adrenaline even when one of the cavalry men told him of the damage his troops had taken.

"So, you are saying we're on the losing side, right?" Aomine interrupted the report. He had no patience to hear all the boring details.

"Yes, Sir."

"Hmm," The general smirked delightfully. Not many opponents had managed to push Aomine's troops this far. Though, to be fair, he hadn't actually joined his troops into the battle. Aomine was never interested to fight against weak opponents, but this time apparently he could finally meet a worthy opponent. The rumor about Teikou Kingdom's military strength, apparently, was not just bullshit. "Who is the opponent's general?"

"It's Commandant General Kise Ryouta, Sir."

"Ah, that explains it." A third voice spoke up from beside Aomine, making the cavalry man jumped in surprise. He had thought the Commandant was alone in his camp.

"What's that supposed to mean, Tetsu?" Aomine turned to his smaller companion.

Kuroko Tetsuya was a small man with sky blue hair and a pair of observant eyes of the same color. He had a very weak presence—so faint people usually didn't realize he was there—which made him perfect for the role as a spy or informant and indeed there were very little things Kuroko didn't know about.

"Kise Ryouta is Teikou's top commanding general. There are rumors spreading around that he was also King Akashi's favorite. His skill in battlefield is truly outstanding, though. He is also known as Teikou's Valkyrie, which is funny because Valkyrie usually refers to a woman." Kuroko explained in his usual monotone voice.

Aomine threw his head back as he laughed out loud. "So, basically you are telling me that our troops lost from some pretty faced man? How rich!"

"It is true Kise Ryouta has a pretty face, but he's also an experience warrior. You shouldn't underestimate him, Aomine-_kun_."

Aomine smirked arrogantly. "No one will be able to defeat me in battlefield. You should know that best, Tetsu." He chuckled slightly as if the thought of an opponent strong enough to defeat him was very amusing. "Either way I will meet him tomorrow. Let's just see whether this Kise Ryouta is as strong as people said he is or not."

Kuroko sighed ever so slightly, although his lips slowly curled into a faint smile. "I would ask you to stop looking that happy, but I guess that's impossible by now."

In response, Aomine just gave Kuroko one of his shit-eating grins.

**xXXx**

The fire from the candles was the only source of light in the big tent in which commandant General Kise Ryouta currently stayed in. His golden strands of hair caught the red glow from the fire, making them looked more amber than actual golden. His topaz orbs were focusing on the casualties report given by the troop's healer. The list was not that long, but it was still too many lives lost for Kise. A crease appeared between his brows, marring his beautiful face for a moment.

Kise's attention, however, shifted immediately when he heard someone calling for him from the other side of the tent. The commandant shouted out permission for the visitor to enter and then Kise's lips curved into a soft smile when he saw the man who walked in.

"Kagami_cchi_. What news do you have for me?"

"The opponent is currently backing down, which is good because our soldiers need to rest too, but I'm quite sure they will move again tomorrow morning. I also heard that their general will finally join the troops in the next attack." Kagami Taiga was tense. The red head warrior knew their side was still winning, but the opponent's general made him uneasy.

"Well, then, I guess we won't be able to go home as soon as we have planned," Kise sighed softly. He leaned back against his chair after gesturing to Kagami to sit down.

"Yeah, that sucks, huh? Tatsuya will surely fuss about me once we return," Kagami groaned loudly at the thought of his overprotective half-sibling. "But, that aside, what plan do you have for the next attack?"

"If it's possible, I'd want to buy us some more time to recover, but I guess that's impossible now. Fortunately, we still have the hill advantage and our lost is less than the opponents. We'll set shield walls in the front line, archers perhaps will be standing by on the upper land—some will need to be hidden on trees for better leverage and surprise element. Considering the situation, I think that should be enough for now."

"That is good thinking," Kagami nodded in approval. "I'm worried about the possibility of aiding troops from the opponent's side, though. Touou has been very silent lately. It certainly doesn't bide well for us. I've also heard Touou's general is a brutal monster who has never lost any battle before."

"I have no respect for a general who let his troops went into a war without him," Kise snorted in dismissal. "He probably is just a coward, I won't worry about him. I agree we should be wary of aiding troops, though. Perhaps it'll be better if we call parley. Too many lives have been lost already."

Kagami shot Kise a disbelieve look. "A parley with Touou? All this fight must have made you lost your mind. That's a crazy idea, Kise, one that will never work."

"You really shouldn't talk like that to your general, Kagami_cchi_," Kise pouted even though his tone was playful. "I know the probability of them accepting our terms is slim to none, but that will give me chance to meet their mysterious general face to face. We'll go with it."

"… Sometimes I seriously wonder why so many people actually follow such a selfish person like you." Kagami deadpanned.

Kise chuckled before throwing a grin at the red head. "That's just because of my pretty face, Kagami_cchi_. Trust me."

Kagami snickered at the answer. It was true enough people usually were charmed by Kise's handsome face, but the red head knew Kise was actually a really good leader in the battlefield. The blond was observant, calm and very skillful. He had brought so many victories for their kingdom. It was enough reason for people to line up behind him, ready to bet their lives on the line because they believe the blond would always protect them.

**xXXx**

When the first light of the next day dawned, Aomine was already leading his troops towards the enemy's line. He was riding tall on his most beloved black stallion, with Kuroko riding calmly beside him. Behind him, three lines of army that looked like black waves followed. The first line was the foot soldiers, their steps heavy from the breast plates and shin guards they wore. The pikes and other sharp weapons they brought reflected the faintest light from the sun, promising painful death to their opponents. Following behind them was a line of soldiers carrying short swords and shields. The third line was for the cavalry men. Their horses painted in blood red, as if the animal had actually tasted the opponent's flesh directly.

Aomine smirked as he gazed at his troops. They were all ready to fight. They were all thirsting for blood and indeed there would be lots of blood spilled on the ground soon. The General licked his lips as his soldiers' battle cries sent shiver of excitement through his whole body. Today, history would be written.

To be honest, there was nothing Aomine wanted more than to let his soldiers marched on an attack right away, but he knew war didn't work like that. There would always be a time—a tense, oppressive time—where both forces just stood still, battle cries filling the air but no one would actually attack until one side simply snapped.

"Aomine-_kun_, there is someone coming from the opponent's side."

Kuroko's soft spoken words made Aomine lifted his head. True enough, one of the cavalry man was riding forward in front of the army. From the distance, Aomine could see the man's golden strands of hair caught the sun's light, making it shone even brighter. Aomine snorted. He was sure he could find that head very easily even once the battle broke out.

"Do you think they are going for a parley?"

"… I do believe so," Kuroko tilted his head slightly when he saw the cavalry man was holding a white cloth in his raised hand. A cry of, "Parley!" from rich and deep voice could be heard soon after.

Aomine smirked. "That guy is an idiot. There's no way we'll accept any negotiations. Ignore it."

"I don't think it's a wise move, my Lord," Kuroko had a light frown on his face. "We should at least listen to their terms."

Aomine turned to his childhood friend. Kuroko would only call him Lord whenever he was serious. The general sighed. "Okay, if you said so. Just make sure the army doesn't get too feisty while I'm gone."

Without waiting to hear Kuroko's answer, Aomine rode towards the opponent rider. He was actually quite curious because Teikou still had the upper hand in this battle. It was rare for the winning side to call parley. Usually, it was a resort taken by the losing side.

As he got nearer to his supposed opponent, Aomine could finally see the man clearly. His navy colored eyes assessed the man carefully. The blond was tall, not as tall as him but of impressive height nevertheless. His skin was milky pale and it looked very smooth Aomine found it hard to believe the man was actually a seasoned warrior. When Aomine lifted his gaze and saw the other's topaz orbs, though, all that doubt disappeared because in those eyes, Aomine could see fierceness and hint of blood lust lurking beneath.

"You are wasting your time. My kingdom doesn't believe in negotiations," Aomine said once he finally stopped few feet away from the other rider.

"Will you still hear my terms, though, General Aomine Daiki?" The blond remarked in a calm voice although there was a hint of mockery Aomine could detect in the tone he used.

"I guess I can do as much for such a pretty man like you. Valkyrie, eh? That title fits you, Kise Ryouta. You do have a girl's face." Unlike his counterpart, Aomine didn't see a reason to hide his barbs. They were at war. There was no need to be kind here.

Kise's topaz orbs glinted with hatred, but he was blessed with cold head so he managed to hold his politeness. "I see you truly are a barbarian who only loves to spill blood. Nevertheless, the fact stands that my side is having an upper hand. My terms are this: you can either choose to continue the fight or surrender. We won't take any prisoners if you surrender, but if you choose to fight, we won't spare a single life."

"Good, because I never spare an opponent's life too," Aomine smirked coldly. "We will fight and you'll soon see it's your army that will lose. You'll be watching all of your men beheaded right in front of you and then I'll take you as my spoil of war."

"Bold words you said, General Aomine. We'll see if they can ever come true."

Both men stared at each other for a tense moment. Topaz spheres burned with hatred while navy colored irises danced with sadistic amusement. The moment was broken when Kise nodded sharply before turning his horse around as he rode back towards his army. Aomine watched the retreating blond figure closely. He could already taste the sweet victory on his tongue.

Oh, yes. Aomine would certainly win this war. He had gotten a glimpse at the prize he'd take and there was no way Aomine would let his prize went away. Kise Ryouta was one fine specimen. Aomine would love to have the beautiful man chained to his bed, screaming and begging under him.

**xXXx**

When he caught the expression on Kise's face as the blond rode back towards their troops, Kagami knew the negotiation hadn't gone well. He didn't expect anything else, though, because Kagami was not a delusional optimistic, but Kise actually looked very angry it worried the red head. He approached the general with a questioning gaze.

"What got you so angry, my Liege?"

Topaz orbs flashed to him and for a moment, Kagami could feel the coldness of fright seeping into his bones. "That bastard, Aomine, spoke as if he has won the war. I won't let that barbarian win. We'll spare no mercy this time. Get the army ready to move, Kagami. The war has started now."

Kagami wisely kept the words he wanted to say as he nodded and turned to direct their army. Kise watched his friend's back for a moment before turning around to face the opponent's army. They were already moving, splitting into two sides. They planned to attack from both sides, surrounding Teikou's army at the center. Kise smirked coldly. It was a wise decision, but that wouldn't work against him.

"Archers, take your position!" Kise shouted out and all the archers immediately took aim towards the slowly advancing enemies. Kise's topaz orbs watched, sharp like a hawk, for the exact moment for him to release the shoots. There was no amateur in Kise's army. There would be no premature release of an arrow that could lead to all-out battle. All of their moves were planned, aimed only to gain victory.

Kise took out his sword from its sheath, lifting it high as a sign his army adhered to. Once the enemies were close enough, Kise sharply put his sword down as he yelled, "FIRE!"

The archers let go of their arrows. The sky was filled with thousands of thin woods with sharp pointers before gravity pulled all the arrows down. Kise's watched as the deadly weapon rained down on their enemies and he took in satisfaction the pained shouts drifting to his ears. The first blood had been spilled. Bodies fell down and stomped by comrades who didn't give a damn. From now on, the war had truly started.

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**To be Continued ...**


	2. Massacre

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 02 – Massacre**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N: **Thank you for the response I got from the first chapter! I'm glad to see so many people are looking forward for the continuation. I hope I don't disappoint any of you with this chapter! Thanks for all the alerts, favs and reviews! I really appreciate them all. I hope you all enjoy the second chapter, too! Oh, and special thanks for **Manzzeii** for being my beta. You are truly amazing! Any mistakes you still find is mine alone.

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Massacre. That was what happening in the field right now. The sun was high in the sky and its light fell upon the gruesome scene of bodies scattered around what once was a lush green field. Drowned under the yelling and screaming voices of the soldiers fighting, were the groans and pitiful moans from the injured as they waited for their fate. Blood stained the grass, looking like morbid red morning dews.

Kise pranced along the battlefield on his stallion, the blood from both allies and foes staining his polished armor. He was a dangerous yet magnificent sight as he slashed and stabbed at his foes with terrifying accuracy. Sweat rolled down on his temple, the battle had gone on for almost six hours now, but his movements didn't show any sign of exhaustion in the slightest.

The enemy's soldiers were focusing on him, knowing fully that defeating the opponent's general would guarantee victory on their side, but Kise was too strong for them—until one of the foot soldiers managed to stab at his stallion with their sword, making it reared up. Kise was thrown off of the horse. His helmet protected his head from the nasty impact, but the fall still managed to steal the air away from him.

He didn't have much time to assess his injuries, because the enemies were already moving into him, lifting their swords and pikes dangerously high above them. He managed to roll off, avoiding the dangerous weapons, and he took out the other short sword he had before slashing at the enemies' legs, making them fall onto the ground. Kise didn't waste any time before delivering the fatal blow, knowing that to kill an enemy immediately would be an act of mercy here in the battlefield.

"My, you are a feisty one, aren't you?"

Kise turned around to face Aomine when he heard that mocking voice. His grips on his twin swords tightened as he took in the figure of Touou's general in front of him. Aomine was smirking roguishly; his armor in the same state of ruin as Kise's and his broadsword was almost painted in red. The sight of those blood stains on Aomine's sword made Kise's blood boiled. He could imagine how many of his soldiers had fallen victim to that dangerous sword. The other general was not wearing a helmet, but then again perhaps he didn't need one with his skill.

"I have this bad habit of never giving up," Kise responded in a deceptively calm tone. All the while making it sound like he was teasing.

Aomine's smirk widened as he stepped forward. The other soldiers gave them a wide berth, not wanting to get dragged into the generals' fight. It was a fight far above their skills. "You have never known true despair, then. Don't worry, I will make sure to teach you all about it soon."

The dark blue haired man swung his broadsword idly. Sharp midnight sky orbs didn't let go of Kise even for a second. Aomine decided he liked the sight in front of him. Kise Ryouta looked all the more tempting with all the blood and grime dirtying his milky smooth skin. He licked his lips, trying to hold himself from tasting the dry blood directly from Kise's skin.

"Let's see how good you truly are." Aomine rushed forward, eyes glinting with excitement as he moved his broadsword with intention to stab Kise.

The blond was fast and experienced, though. Using his twin swords, he managed to block the attack and pushed Aomine back. He didn't wait as he counter-attacked with his twin swords, aiming to hurt the other. The blond lost all hints of playfulness in him, topaz orbs darkened with focus and murderous intent.

Aomine's eyes widened for a fraction of second. He didn't expect to have such difficulties in parrying Kise's attacks. His body thrummed with excitement. Each shallow wound Kise managed to inflict on his body only fuelled his desire for the other even more.

"What is the matter, General Aomine? Surely you know there is no need to hold back, right?" Kise swung his twin swords again, making a cut just under Aomine's eyes.

The Touou's general cursed under his breath before he saw an opening and kicked Kise hard. The impact made the blond take a few staggered steps backwards, face set on a grimace. Aomine's eyes narrowed. He changed his stance, this time holding onto the hilt of his sword with two hands. Likewise, there was no more playful light in Aomine's eyes as he smirked at Kise, his whole body screaming of murderous intent instead.

"Don't be hasty. Our dance has just started."

**xXXx**

It was hard to keep tabs on everyone once the battle had broken out. Hell, it was hard to even keep yourself for getting killed, so Kagami really shouldn't be this frustrated just because he had lost sight of Kise. The red head still felt unease, though. There was this unexplainable terror in his gut for his general's safety. It was stupid, because Kagami had never known of anyone stronger than Kise, but the feeling still wouldn't dissipate.

Kagami opened up a path for himself by slashing at the enemies blocking his way. His amber orbs were sharp as they searched for either a familiar blond head under polished helmet or for the dark skinned monster on black stallion. He had seen how Aomine slaughtered his army and he didn't want that man to face Kise, because, despite of Kise's skill, the small voice in the back of Kagami's head kept on telling him the blond wouldn't win.

Thus, it was imperative for him to find Kise as soon as possible.

"Shit! Out of the damn way, you idiots!" snarling, Kagami pulled at his mare's reins, making it reared up. The soldiers in his way all moved away, deciding not to take the risk of being kicked by the animal.

From the opening he made, Kagami could see a strange empty space just at the heart of the battlefield. It almost looked as if the other soldiers were giving wide berth to whoever was fighting there. It didn't take a genius to figure out who were involved in that fight.

Kagami directed his mare towards that spot, but then he felt a sudden presence on his side. His instinct made him alert in mere seconds. He halted his movement and pointed his sword at the warrior on his side. A pair of amber orbs narrowed when he saw a man with teal mane and pale skin. He was wearing Touou's armor, but Kagami couldn't detect any hostile intent from the other. However, he didn't let his body relax just yet, because in war, anything could happen.

"Who are you? State your name!" Kagami barked out the order.

"How surprising to see Teikou's prince in a battlefield and yet not leading it." The stoic man said instead of obeying Kagami's direct order, expressionless eyes staring straight at Kagami's.

Kagami's posture stiffened. A low growl rumbling in his throat as he returned the gaze directed at him with suspicion. Not many people knew of his status as a prince. After all, he was not the rightful queen's son. He was born from one of the late king's concubines and he preferred people to remain oblivious to this fact.

"I'll just ask this one more time: who are you?" Kagami's sword moved dangerously close to the exposed neck of the others, nicking it lightly.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." The answer came in a calm tone. Apparently, Kuroko didn't think a sword pointed at his neck was dangerous at all. "I will advise you to not interfere with Aomine-_kun_'s fight. It will only make him furious."

"Why would I listen to an enemy's advice?" Kagami snorted. He removed his sword, though, because he couldn't feel any danger from the other man. It was obvious he would be able to win against Kuroko if they actually fought.

"Because I am telling you what is right. Oh, and it's useless anyway. Touou's aiding troops have arrived. If you are wise, you will run to save your life. Your kingdom still needs you, Prince Kagami."

Dread made Kagami's blood run cold as he heard Kuroko's statement. He wanted to snarl at the smaller man and tell him there was no chance he would scare Kagami away with an empty threat, but already he could hear faint and foreign battle cries which were getting louder and louder. His amber eyes shuttered close as he grimaced. His nightmare was coming true at the worst possible timing. There was no way they could win against the aiding troops. The Teikou's soldiers were almost at their limit as it was. Their lost was more or less guaranteed, but it was not a reason to give up. They were noble warriors, trained to hold onto their prides and loyalties. Surrendering was a concept they knew nothing of.

If they had to lose, they would go down fighting.

"You have good eyes," Kuroko's soft spoken observation brought Kagami's attention back to reality. When amber pools clashed against stolen skies, Kuroko continued, "They are full of life. I hope I will be able to see them again after this."

Before Kagami had the chance to respond, Kuroko was already riding away. He didn't have the time to chase after the other, though, because then he heard the first surprised shout from his soldier and then—chaos.

**xXXx**

Kise had always thought of himself as a rationale and decent man. Despite being a seasoned warrior, he didn't have the tendency of bloodlust, unlike most of his opponents. He didn't love war—he still personally thought it was pointless if necessary sometimes. He hated how many lives were lost in a war and, most of all; he loathed his barbaric enemies with all of his heart.

Despite that, though, Kise truly was a skillful warrior with lots of battle experiences. He could understand the thrill of tempting Death and, eventhough he hated to admit it, he couldn't deny the excitement running in his veins as he exchanged lethal blows with Aomine. The other general was not just bragging about his skill. His arrogance aside, Aomine Daiki was one amazing warrior.

'_This is bad … I shouldn't enjoy it this much,' _Kise still couldn't hold back the smirk on his face even as Aomine slowly but surely pushed him back. He was having the upper hand, but apparently the situation had turned around now.

Aomine's eyes glinted as one particular attack from him managed to shove Kise back. He then pulled back his sword only to move it again in a violent stab, this time managing to break through Kise's armor and iron vest, pulling a pained scream out of the blond's throat. Aomine smirked in sadistic pleasure at the sound.

"You have a nice voice. I'd love to hear you scream more."

The Touou's general pushed his sword deeper, pleased with the resistance he got when it pierced through the flesh. Kise didn't give him the pleasure of hearing his scream, though. The blond was gritting his teeth, smothering any sound that might escape from him.

"Don't look as if you have win," Kise ground out as he lifted his head to give an unholy smirk towards Aomine. He was panting heavily, but he still had enough strength to lift his sword. "Arrogance will be your undoing."

Aomine's eyes widened for fraction of seconds when Kise suddenly lunged forward, uncaring of the sword still embedded in his flesh. Only Aomine's fast reflex made him able to avoid the blond's sword from decapitating him. An ear splitting sound of metal dragging against metal rang in the air as Kise's sword slashed at Aomine's armor, leaving a long scratch there.

For a moment, Aomine was in a vulnerable state. He was defenseless, sword still stuck in Kise's body and surprise made him paralyzed. Kise took in a deep breath, giving all of his focus into his next attack. He became deaf of the world as his attention was fully given to the general in front of him. Kise could already feel victory on the tip of his fingers. He collected all strength he had left and moved to deliver the last blow.

But then he felt a painful sting on his right shoulder. His body went numb all of the sudden. He could see his own surprise being reflected on Aomine's face before the other general's expression contorted into fury. He couldn't tell what had made Aomine so angry, though, because then darkness had taken over his consciousness.

Aomine didn't watch when Kise's body hit ground. His furious eyes were focused on the soldier behind the fallen general—a soldier who wore Touou's armor and held a bow in his hand. A soldier who had released the poisonous arrow that knocked Kise out.

"What do you think you are doing, Hanamiya? Who give you the permission to interfere with my battle?!"

Hanamiya Makoto just stared at Aomine with a calm smirk before putting away his bow. He folded his arms on his chest before tilting his head aside slightly, dark orbs looking down at the fallen general with hints of mockery.

"I do apologize, My Liege," Hanamiya started with a saccharine smile. "but from my point of view, it looked as if this man was giving you trouble. You may see it as an intervention, but I personally rather think of it as saving your life."

"I don't remember ever asking your help."

"I insist," Hanamiya shrugged negligently before moving to kick at Kise lightly. "With this, the victory has become ours. Well, we still would have won even if you lost from him, but I guess an absolute victory does taste better."

Aomine gritted his teeth but restrained himself from cursing Hanamiya verbally. There was nothing he could do, anyway. Already he could hear the aiding troops going after the remaining Teikou's soldiers. It was victory for Touou's kingdom, but Aomine didn't feel satisfied at all. He didn't feel as if he had won against Kise Ryouta. This was the first time Aomine ever felt like this. He swore to keep Kise alive, then. They would need to have a rematch, no matter what other people would think about it.

"Move your foot. That man is my spoil of war. No one but me is allowed to touch him."

A surprised expression took over Hanamiya's expression by Aomine's blatant protectiveness. This was the first time the general even bothered taking spoils of war. Usually, Aomine was a heartless warrior who preferred to take no hostages. He wisely didn't say anything, though, simply removing his foot as per Aomine's order. However, Hanamiya made sure to make a mental note to tell the king about this turn of event. King Imayoshi would surely love to know the interest his brother was showing to the enemy's general.

For now, though, it would be wiser to avoid more of Aomine's wrath. Hanamiya bowed low, his voice sincere as he said, "As you wish, My Lord."

* * *

**To be Continued …**


	3. Despair

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 03 – Despair**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N: **As always, thank you for the amazing reviews! I'm sorry I haven't got time to reply any of it, but I will try doing it soon. Special thanks for **Manzzeii **for giving me ideas and looking after this chapter! Lots of love for you, dear. Any mistakes you may still found solely belong to me.

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Despair slowly filled Kagami's mind like a slow-acting venom as he watched the aiding troops from Touou Kingdom slaughtered his soldiers one by one. He, himself, was having trouble in blocking the enemies' attacks. No matter how many warriors he had slashed and stabbed, more would come steadily. Kagami was already panting by now, his stamina decreasing in alarmingly fast rate even as he simply tried to keep himself alive. The unease still haunting his mind for his General's safety also didn't help the matter, because it only made him distracted.

Kagami couldn't see Kise anywhere in the battlefield. The last time he saw his general was when Kise still fought against Aomine. It made his worry increase. Who knew what had happened to Kise now. Kagami didn't want to doubt his general's skill, but he knew there was no chance for Kise to win against Aomine. He just hoped he would still be able to see the man alive after all of this.

A sudden sharp pain on his leg rudely brought Kagami's thought back to the current fight he had in hand. He growled and killed the warrior who had attacked him in one quick slash that managed to severe the soldier's head from his body. Kagami only had a second after that to block another attack from another enemy. This time, the attack managed to make Kagami's knees buckled under him. He was exhausted. Sooner or later, Kagami wouldn't have enough strength to even lift his sword anymore. It didn't matter, though. Kagami was prepared for that to happen. At least then he would go down honorably.

"Why do you still fight even when you know it's useless by now?"

Kagami's eyes narrowed when he heard that particular soft voice. Turning around, he was not at all surprised to see Kuroko standing behind him—once again without Kagami even realizing he was there. The red head took note of the way the enemy's soldiers kept their distance from Kuroko, as if Kuroko was someone worthy of high respect. This made Kagami's eyes narrowed even further.

"Because my pride won't allow me to just give up." Kagami answered as he charged forward. Kuroko obviously was an enemy and Kagami would be damned if he would just talk civilly to a person who was partly responsible for the massacre his warriors received.

To Kagami's surprise, Kuroko managed to avoid his attack very easily. His movement was graceful, almost like the flowing water. True, Kuroko had benefits from Kagami's exhaustion, but the movement still surprised Kagami. Kuroko was obviously used to fight. Kagami had thought Kuroko was a weakling who knew nothing of the art of fighting. Before he knew it, though, Kuroko had slipped to his back and brought his own sword—silver and thinner than any swords Kagami had seen before—against Kagami's nape, effectively holding him on a lethal point. If Kuroko put more pressure to his sword, Kagami would certainly die of blood loss within minutes.

"What does pride have anything to do with your life? War is not about honor, Prince Kagami. It's about tactics, dirty betrayals and backstabbing. The wisest move for you right now is to give up so you may be spared of Death and have chance of revenge later on."

"I'd rather die than becoming Touou's prisoner!"

"You may think so, but what about your general? Don't you care about him at all? If you survive, you can make sure no harm comes to him."

"What are you trying to say?" Kagami growled. He tried to move, but Kuroko's sword became bolder against his nape, nicking the skin dangerously.

"I'm trying to make you see that pride means nothing in war. You should stop being so idealistic and start seeing the harsh truth. If you still want to be of use for your kingdom, give up now. Don't throw away your life for something as silly as honor."

Kuroko's voice never once changed from his usual monotone, but there was a determined light in his eyes as he said those words. He hated people like Kagami, who were raised in luxurious life that made them forgot to see reality was not as nice as the world inside their heads. Prideful people who didn't know when to give up irked him. But of course, this also applied for his dearest commandant general too.

"I'm telling you to give up, Prince Kagami, but if you insist to meet Death so soon, I will be more than happy to grant you, your wish."

Kagami gritted his teeth hatefully. In a sense, what Kuroko said was true. There was no point of holding on to your pride when you didn't have your life, but they—the whole of Teikou's armies—were trained for loyalty. They would never betray their kingdom and would Kise actually be happy if Kagami gave up now? Kagami's eyes shut closed as if to chase those conflicting thoughts away.

"If I'm taking revenge, you will be the first person I kill." He vowed before putting down his sword. Kagami's eyes were burning with hatred as he was finally allowed to turn around to face Kuroko.

Kuroko's face was still as calm as ever as he commented, "That's fair enough."

**xXXx**

The first thing Kise realized when he regained consciousness was the cold night wind whipping against his face, followed by the strange numbness in his body. As he became more alert of his surrounding, the pain on his abdominal and shoulder from the previous fight he had against Aomine finally registered. He tried to not flinch from the sharp pain. After taking a few deep breaths, Kise finally collected himself once more. He then tried to assess his situation without opening his eyes, knowing it was not a good idea to attract the enemy's attention to him. Kise tried to move his fingers slowly, but he couldn't and he finally realized his arms were bounded high above his head, on something that Kise predicted to be a stake. He could feel no cloth against his eyes, so he figured he was not blindfolded.

Taking a deep breath, Kise slowly opened his eyes. Topaz orbs reflected the amber light of bonfire just few feet away from him. Soldiers were gathering around it, laughing jovially while drinking as if they were celebrating. Kise gritted his teeth, because the soldiers celebrating victory were wearing Touou's armor instead of Teikou's.

"Ah, so you're finally awake."

Light drawl from his side made Kise turn his head around. His eyes narrowed as he saw the figure of Aomine Daiki smirking smugly at him. The opponent's general was still wearing his iron vest. His broadsword was now resting comfortably on his back, but he had already dispatched his armor. He looked like the rightful victor, ready to gloat his win to the loser. Aomine's sharp eyes were glinting with superiority, as if he could read the loathing in Kise's mind. Beside the general was someone Kise didn't know. The man was wearing the Touou's armor, he stood a little bit behind Aomine—a telling behavior for his status which was lower than Aomine's—and had an amused smirk firmly on his face.

Kise turned his head around without saying a word. He couldn't look at Aomine's face. The hatred burning in his veins made him incapable to do so.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"Because you're more useful to me alive than dead," Aomine moved closer to Kise, ignoring the way the other man tried to press himself further against the wooden stake he was bounded to. Aomine put a finger under Kise's chin, forcing the other to lift up his gaze until navy blue spheres met with burning topaz orbs. "You are Teikou's top general. You should know everything about your kingdom's military strength. I intend to drag that information out of your lips."

"I will not say a word that will betray my king. You are wasting your time."

"Now, don't be hasty. Let's start with an easy question," Aomine's grip on Kise's chin tightened to the point of it being hurt. "What is your kingdom's weakness?"

Kise returned Aomine's hard stare with a glare, but he kept his mouth shut. He'd rather die than giving the bastard any information.

Aomine's eyes narrowed. "Don't make this harder for you, Kise," he growled. "How many generals are there? Who is leading the defense troops on the borders?"

Pale lips slowly curved upwards, Kise gave Aomine a beatific smile before spitting right on the other general's face.

"You, insolent peasant!" Hanamiya Makoto snarled. He was already stepping forward and taking out his sword, ready to kill Kise right there and then when Aomine stopped him with a simple hand gesture. Still fuming silently, Hanamiya nevertheless obeyed to his commandant's order as he stepped back.

For a moment, there was thick, heavy silence between the three of them. Hanamiya still looked ready to kill Kise at any moment; Kise glaring hatefully up at Aomine and the Touou's general calmly staring down at his captive. Aomine then wiped the saliva dripping on his cheek with one hand. His demeanor still as calm and collected as ever. His navy orbs were indescribable as they locked on Kise's topaz ones.

"Hanamiya," Aomine finally broke the silence, catching Hanamiya's attention immediately. "Bring all the prisoners here."

Kise's eyes widened for a fraction of second as Hanamiya murmured his understanding and left the both of them. Fear made his blood ran cold. Kise could stand any torture Aomine had for him, but he never wanted the other man to touch his soldiers. Seeing the steady gaze Aomine had on him though, Kise knew there would be no mercy given to his soldiers because of his insolence. He closed his eyes regretfully, for once letting his anxiousness shown.

"I must admit, your soldiers are very loyal. Most of them prefer to die in the battlefield than be captured for information," Aomine drawled lightly as he finally let Kise's chin go. He then calmly walked to Kise's side, lowering his head so he could whisper acidic words against his ear, "but I had great pleasure in letting them die slowly. Can you imagine their pained scream as Death slowly took them away? Can you imagine how they hope desperately for you to save them, only to have that hope dashed once I told them I had defeated you?"

Kise took in shuddered breath. The morbid image coming to his mind from Aomine's words would haunt him forever. When he finally spoke up, Kise's voice was hard and filled with suppressed rage, "You've made a mistake in letting me alive, General Aomine. I promise you, it will be my sword ending your life."

"I found it hard to feel threatened by someone who can't even move his body as he wants." Aomine chuckled maliciously. He then lifted his head when Hanamiya walked back to them, followed by few of Aomine's men who were pushing the captured Teikou's soldiers in front of them. The prisoners' wrists were tied behind them and they were forced on to their knees in front of Aomine. "Look, your men are here. Make sure you open your eyes wide, Kise. I'll give you an entertainment you've never seen before."

"If you touch any of them, I swear I will kill you, Aomine! Release them!" Kise yelled out as Aomine walked away from him. His yell was ignored, but his soldiers immediately looked up at him when they heard his voice. Kise's heart wrenched painfully when he saw the obvious relief in their eyes. He didn't deserve to receive it. He had failed to protect them. They should have looked at him with hatred, with fury—just how Kise felt about himself at the moment.

"How many prisoners we have left, Hanamiya?"

"Around fifteen, Aomine-_kun_." The answer came not from Hanamiya, but from a small man with teal strands of hair that Kise had never seen before. The man was pale and his voice was soft. Kise inwardly thought the man's presence was an oddity in a place like this.

"Fifteen. We captured around thirty of them, no, Tetsu?" Aomine's eyes lifted in inquiry.

"Yes, but the soldiers were bored. They need something to do and Hanamiya-_san _had given his permission to do whatever they wanted to the prisoners."

Kise couldn't believe his ears. They had killed half of his men only because they were bored and these men—these barbaric monsters—said it as if they didn't regret their action at all. Kise bowed his head low, unable to look at the disgusting people in front of him anymore. He was silently seething in anger.

"Oh, well, fifteen will be enough." Aomine shrugged nonchalantly. He then walked back towards Kise. "Now, I certainly hope you will cooperate with me this time, Kise. You certainly didn't want your men to die, right? If you answer my question, I promise I'll let them live. For every question you don't answer, though, I will behead one of them. Does this sound like a good deal for you?"

When there was no answer coming from Kise, Aomine simply smirked before signaling for one of his men to bring forward a prisoner closer to them. The Touou soldier obeyed and then took out his sword. With a simple nod from Aomine, the sharp blade fell down against the unsuspecting prisoner's neck, cleanly severing the head from the body. Blood spurted from the headless corpse, dirtying the ground beneath as the prisoner's head rolled towards Kise's feet.

Kise's eyes widened in horror. "NO!"

"It's the deal, Kise. You didn't answer my question, so one of your men died. It's as simple as that," Aomine gestured once again and another prisoner was brought forward. "Now, let's start again. How many armies does your kingdom have?"

Kise gritted his teeth. He knew he would be marked as a traitor immediately if he answered Aomine's question, but on the other hand, he couldn't just watch his men get killed in front of him. Not like this.

"Have you no heart, General Aomine? My men were just following orders. They don't deserve this!"

"Heart has no place in a war. I thought you know that already. If you don't want them to die, just answer my question."

"There's no need to answer him, My Liege!" The prisoner suddenly shouted, surprising both Aomine and Kise. "We'd rather die than betraying our kingdom. That's the vow we all took when we first joined Teikou's army. You don't have to worry about us! We won't blame y—" the words were cut short when a sharp blade severed the prisoner's head without any warning. It was almost funny how the prisoner's lips were still opened to speak even when his head joined the previous one on the ground.

Something in Kise's mind snapped as he saw that, his eyes became blank and his face expressionless. He was dispatching himself from the reality. Aomine's questions seemed to come from far away and Kise remained emotionless as he watched his men getting beheaded one by one in front of him. It was not like Kise didn't care anymore, but he knew his men would not forgive him he gave into their enemy's demand. They were all noble warriors and Kise was proud for the chance of leading those amazing people. He just hoped their soul would rest in peace now.

Aomine, seeing Kise's lack of response, knew this torture wouldn't work. He rolled his eyes lightly, before signaling his men to stop.

"You're really trying my patience, Kise." He knew physical torture wouldn't work against Kise too. The man was most likely trained to endure under massive pain, just like Aomine himself, and although he would take pleasure in hearing Kise's screams, he also didn't want to waste his time. He'd rather plan their next move than trying to break a stubborn person like Kise.

"My Liege, if I may give you a suggestion?" Hanamiya's silky drawl caught Aomine's attention. The bluenette lifted his brows skeptically, but then he nodded, allowing Hanamiya to speak up. The soldier did just so, "Perhaps it will be more efficient if we bring forward someone the general actually close to. I do believe we've captured his vice-general."

Aomine's lips curved into a smirk. "Excellent. Bring him to me, Hanamiya."

"At once, My Liege," Hanamiya bowed slightly before barking out an order to one of the men who then dragged a screaming and yelling Kagami forward. The red head was still struggling even when he was shoved face down onto the dirty ground. Hanamiya stared at Kagami with no small hint of disgust as he walked beside the prisoner and took out his sword. He looked at Aomine calmly before saying, "I will be pleased to bring his head to you."

"You scum! Let go of me! Kise, don't you listen to anything they say!"

Kagami's voice managed to snap Kise back to reality. The blond's eyes then widened considerably as he saw the struggling red head in front of him. A soft whisper of, "Kagamicchi," escaped from Kise's lips and all of the sudden he was struggling against his bond like a mad animal. "LET HIM GO! Let him go, or I swear to God I won't let any of you live for long!"

"Oh? Now, this is an interesting reaction. You seem to know him quite well. Is he someone special?" Aomine's smirk curved a little bit wider. He tilted his head towards the struggling blond, amused by the way Kise was pulling at his bond—only to hurt himself when the rough rope scraped against his tender skin. Fresh blood started to seep onto the blond's tunic from the wound on his shoulder. This was the first time Aomine saw Kise lost the calm he usually had and it piqued Aomine's interest. The look of rage was becoming on Kise's face. He could only imagine facing that rage in a duel. The thought brought a shiver of excitement through Aomine's body. It was then an idea came into his mind.

"Tell you what, let's change our deal. I'll propose an agreement with you. If you agree, I will release your beloved redhead. If you refuse, though—" Aomine nodded towards Hanamiya who then placed his sword at the back of Kagami's neck in threatening manner. "—it's off with his head."

"No! Don't agree to it, Kise!"

Kagami's shouts made Kise feel conflicted, but he knew he could never let Kagami die. Kagami was a prince. He was Akashi's brother. There was no way Kise could let a royal member be murdered when he could prevent it. Closing his eyes in resignation, Kise then said without wavering, "Let me hear your terms."

Kagami roared in protest, but Aomine simply ignored it as he once again smirked smugly. The Touou's general then stepped close to Kise—close enough until their chests were touching lightly—before bending his head low and whispered against Kise's ear. The whisper was too soft for anyone but the blond to hear, but they all could see the way Kise's eyes widened afterwards. Kise hesitated. He didn't say anything for a while and Aomine was quickly losing his patience.

"Hanamiya, do it."

With those soft words, Hanamiya lifted his sword high above Kagami's head. The redhead actually looked relief when Kise didn't say anything. He didn't seem worry about the sword about to severe his head clean from his body just in few seconds.

"NO, STOP IT!"

Kise shouted suddenly, but it was too late. Hanamiya was already swinging his sword down and Kagami would surely lose his head—if not for the hand suddenly catching the sword, stopping it just inches before Kagami's neck. Hanamiya's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Aomine was the one stopping him using his bare hand. Immediately, Hanamiya pulled his sword away, but blood was already flowing from the deep wound on Aomine's hand. The general didn't seem to mind it, though, as his eyes were locked to Kise's terrified ones.

A tense silence followed after. In that silence, it didn't matter how soft Kise's voice was, everybody could hear it clearly when he finally said, "I agree."

"Good boy," Aomine almost purred in satisfaction. He cradled his injured hand close, Kuroko already moving to cover it with cloth to stop the bleeding for now, before turning to address Hanamiya once again, "Leave the red head. He'll be kept alive. You can kill the rest of the prisoners."

Hanamiya bowed. He was still distracted by the fact Aomine would go as far as injuring himself only to make sure his agreement with the blond wasn't broken. It was obvious the blond was given special treatment and Hanamiya wasn't sure it would bide well for either Aomine himself or for their kingdom. He kept his thoughts to himself, though, as he ordered his men to finish the rest of the prisoners off. It was a fast process, one that was void of any painful screams as the prisoners were all beheaded cleanly. Kise and Kagami were shouting all the time, but they were easily ignored. After that, Hanamiya dragged Kagami away, leaving Aomine with his bounded spoil of war.

"You said you'll leave them alone!" Kise snarled, once again struggling against his bond. How dare Aomine break their agreement!

"No, I just said I will release the red head. I didn't say I will spare the other prisoners." Aomine's navy orbs were calm as he returned Kise's glare. "Since you've agreed to my terms, you have no right to say anything without my permission, Kise."

"I've agreed to serve you, but that doesn't mean I'll bow down to you!"

"That's good. I do like challenge and training a wild dog like you will certainly be interesting," Aomine said in full confidence. Stalking forward like a predator approaching his prey, he then gripped Kise's chin with a mockery of gentleness. He lifted the blond's face upwards and, without any care to his men who might still be watching, captured his prisoner's lips in a rough kiss.

Kise's eyes widened when Aomine's teeth attacked his lower lips. He closed his eyes in mortification, trying to struggle in order to push Aomine back, but to no avail. In the end, Kise bit down hard at Aomine's lips. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth immediately, but at least it managed to make Aomine hissed as he broke their kiss. Kise's face was red with humiliation. He couldn't believe Aomine would do that to him!

"Have you no shame?!" Kise snarled. He couldn't comprehend the reason behind Aomine's action. Kissing an opponent was not something usually done in a war and besides, both of them were men. Surely it would be very embarrassing for Aomine too.

"I have no reason to be ashamed. You are my property now, Kise Ryouta. I can and will do anything I want to you. It will be better for you to prepare yourself, because I intend to do something more than just stealing simple kisses from you."

Kise was still glaring when Aomine walked away from him. Once he was left alone, though, the blond sighed tiredly. His mind and body felt numb. He started to regret his decision in agreeing to Aomine's terms. Who knew, perhaps it would be better for both him and Kagami if they had died. Regret meant nothing now, though. Not when Kise was already fallen to Aomine's trap. He just could hope he would be able to survive the living Hell surely waiting ahead of him.

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**To be Continued …**

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**A/N: **I know most people are waiting for the smexy scene and I promise it will happen, only perhaps not soon. I like to keep you all waiting for it. For now, do enjoy the kissing scene and imagine how Kise will react if Aomine actually does something worse than that. Thank you for reading and please review~


	4. Guilt

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 04 – Guilt**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N: **_First of all, happy new year, people! I hope everyone had a blast in 2012 and will have amazing days in 2013! Second, thank you ever so much for all the reviews/favs/alerts! I never expect so many people are interested in my story! It honors me as much as it frightens me. I feel like I have to meet your expectations and, truthfully, it's a scary thought. I will try my best to do it, though. I apologize for the late update. I was busy and I couldn't get internet connection for a while. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long as this one._

_Special thanks, as always, go to _**Manzzeii **_for being my amazing, amazing beta. Thank you for looking after this chapter and supporting me. Any mistakes you may still find, as always, solely belong to me.  
_

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Guilt was not something Aomine had ever known before. He had never seen the point of feeling guilty for the enemies he had killed or captured. After all, that would seem like an insult to their pride, especially if Aomine felt guilty after killing them in a battlefield. Above that, Aomine was also a selfish man. He didn't care about others, always prioritizing his own need and wants above everyone else's. So, it came as a shock for him to realize that the strange feeling gnawing his inside as he watched the sleeping figure of Kise Ryouta on his bed was, clearly, the manifestation of his guilt.

Sitting on the bed's side, Aomine watched as Kise slept fitfully. After he had ordered his men to behead the rest of the Teikou's soldiers, Aomine had told the healer to tend to Kise's injuries before removing him from the stake he was bonded to into Aomine's personal tent. Many people—especially Hanamiya—had seemed hesitant to follow through his strange order, but one glare from Aomine managed to make them hold their tongue. Aomine's problem didn't end there, though, because Kise had proven to be a difficult patient. Once he shook off the shock from the brutality Aomine had just shown, Kise's strength had apparently returned and he struggled with all his might when the healers tried to fix his injuries. He even managed to bite one of the healers' fingers off. It took three of Aomine's men to hold him down before a healer could inject a sleeping draught into his vein. After that, they didn't have many difficulties in dressing Kise's wounds and moving him into Aomine's tent. The blond hadn't awakened ever since.

Kise's hands and feet were still bonded by thick ropes and now there was dark cloth working as a gag around his mouth, to make sure he couldn't bite at Aomine after what he had done to the healers. He wore only his cotton pants since his tunic had been discarded when the healers tended after him. It made his milky pale skin exposed to the cold air and Aomine's eyes roamed on the expense of that delicious looking canvas. Kise had few scars on his body, some looked worse than the others and Aomine knew those scars would have taken the blond's life if they were not tended immediately—those scars showed that Kise was not a stranger to life threatening injuries. Kise's body was a silent, solid proof of his status as a war general. Those battle wounds made Aomine's respect to Kise went up.

Caressing Kise's wound that had marred the soft skin just under the collar bone, Aomine marveled at the smoothness of healed skin. It was different with the skin around it, and surely more sensitive. Aomine's lips curved into slight smirk. He had once thought of putting his own brand onto Kise, but as he saw the blond now, he figured Kise had enough marks on his body as it was. There would be no need to mar his skin further more with hot metal. His eyes then shifted to the bandage on Kise's abdomen and shoulder, to where he had put his own marks using his sword and decided they would be more than enough already.

Hanamiya's voice from outside of his tent forced Aomine to turn his attention away from Kise. He called out in return and then Hanamiya stepped into his tent, followed closely by Kuroko. Aomine's brows roused slightly in surprise. It was a rare thing to see Kuroko with Hanamiya. The smaller man had often voiced out his displeasure of Hanamiya's sadistic behavior, saying he didn't feel comfortable being around him.

"Hanamiya, Kuroko, what business has brought you here?" Aomine didn't move from his place, still sitting on the bed's edge although he had pulled his hand back to himself. Hanamiya had already narrowed his eyes in displeasure from his close proximity with Kise; there was no need to aggravate the man unnecessarily.

It took a moment for Hanamiya to answer Aomine's question. He closed his eyes for a single heartbeat, as if to control his own emotion down so he wouldn't say anything he would regret later. When his obsidian eyes were finally opened again, he looked calm as he finally said, "I am here to talk to you about our next plan, Sire. Also, I come to suggest you to send a message to King Imayoshi, noticing him of our victory. I am sure he has been waiting for this good news most anxiously."

"Why would he be anxious?" Aomine drawled arrogantly with a lifted eyebrow. "No one can beat me in battlefield. Our victory is certain since the first time we dispatched from our kingdom. There's no need to tell him anything. I have already planned our next move. After we let the soldiers rest, we will move forward to the next Teikou's territory and destroy the army that defends it."

"My Lord, I'm not sure it's a good thing to say here." Hanamiya's eyes darted towards Kise's sleeping form in suspicion. Discussing about their plan while the opponent's general was around couldn't be a good thing. Even if Kise now was a spoil of war, he might still have ways to contact his kingdom. Hanamiya was cautious man. He didn't want anything spoil his plans.

"No need to worry about him. The draught the healer gave will make him sleep until dinner time. He won't be able to listen to anything we said."

Aomine's voice didn't allow for anymore complaint, so Hanamiya gritted his teeth but nevertheless nodded in understanding. If Aomine would take such a big risk, so be it. Hanamiya had known for a long time how stubborn his general was. Even if he didn't like Aomine's attitude, there was nothing he could do about it. His rank was lower than Aomine; he had no right to tell the bluenette the proper way to behave.

"Very well, then. If I may speak up, Sire, I think the plan you have is not exactly the best one. I am not saying that we will lose if we do follow up with it, but your hand is injured, My Lord. It could affect your battling skill and I don't think we should take that risk."

Aomine's eyes narrowed. When he spoke, his voice came out as a low growl, "Are you saying that I will lose only because of a small wound like this?"

The air inside the tent became heavy almost immediately. Hanamiya's face went pale as he stood still under Aomine's furious gaze. The general's fury surrounded him like a snake coiling tight around its victim's body. Hanamiya knew Aomine wouldn't hesitate to kill him if his answer was not the one Aomine wanted to hear. The fear Hanamiya felt right now chilled him to the bones. Cold sweat made him shiver, but Hanamiya held his place. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and tried to speak, but still no words came out from his dry lips. This was the first time Hanamiya ever felt Aomine's fury directly and he was glad for the fact he would never have to face the dark skinned man on the opposite side of battlefield.

Seeing Hanamiya's obvious fear, Aomine's lips curved into an amused smirk. He cocked his head slightly as he stood up, taking his impressive height to the fullest as he stared down at Hanamiya. "Do you have anything to say, Hanamiya?"

"The possibility of you losing because of your injury does exist, My Lord," Kuroko chose that moment to speak up when it was obvious that Hanamiya still needed time to pull himself back together. Hanamiya's reaction was not surprising, since Kuroko knew best how intimidating Aomine could be when he was furious, but Aomine would never be able to intimidate Kuroko. The bond they had was too strong for something as trivial as that. Nevertheless, when Aomine's sharp navy blue irises turned to him, Kuroko must admit even he felt cold shiver ran through his body. The coldness in those orbs would always thaw once they met with Kuroko's sky blue spheres, though. Kuroko kept his gaze impassive as he met Aomine's eyes.

After a long moment of just staring at each other, Aomine finally rolled his eyes lightly before grunting, "Fine. You all are just too worried, but I acknowledge the risk. Hanamiya, you can go and send the message to my brother. We will wait for his reply before moving. Inform me immediately when the answer comes. I don't like the fact I need to report everything to my _dearest _brother, but I guess that couldn't be helped."

Hanamiya didn't let his body relax until Aomine turned around, giving his back to him and Kuroko in dismissing manner. It was only then the dark haired man heaved a relief sigh as tension left his body. He then bowed low, even though Aomine couldn't see the gesture, before excusing himself from his general's tent. Hanamiya's hands clenched into tight fists as he strode towards his own tent, his expression furious. If only Aomine wasn't King Imayoshi's brother, Hanamiya would have cut his head off for his insolence words. Keeping information from their king could be considered as treason. Unfortunately, Hanamiya knew even reporting Aomine's insolence would mean nothing. Imayoshi would never do anything to his brother. At least, not in the manner Hanamiya would have liked. Hanamiya could only wait for now, waiting for the perfect opportunity to give Aomine what he deserved.

Once Hanamiya had left the tent, Kuroko took a seat on one of the chairs set around a long table where the general and his trusted men had often planned an attack. His attention was turned towards the tent's opening. Kuroko could feel Hanamiya's subtle fury shimmering beneath his calm façade when he walked out of Aomine's tent and, perhaps, one day that fury would turn back to attack Aomine, but for now, Kuroko would store his inquiry and keep it to himself. There would surely be a time when his observation today became useful. Satisfied with his own decision, Kuroko then turned to look back at Aomine who was once again sitting on the bed's edge, gazing down at Kise with a look that was foreign for Kuroko.

"... How is your hand, Aomine-_kun_?"

"I can still move it, although grabbing things may be a little bit hard," Aomine tried to make a fist with his injured hand, but he found that he couldn't unless he wanted to risk reopening the wound. He scowled deeply. If this continued, what Hanamiya said might be true. While he was still more than capable of using his broadsword with one hand, it would surely lower his battle skill considerably.

"Your wound is quite deep. That is to be expected. You're smart enough to make sure it was not your dominate hand that got injured. This is the first time I've ever seen you protected someone like that." Kuroko's tone didn't change at all, but his words were enough to make Aomine turned around to face his childhood friend with furrowed eyebrows.

"Don't start, Tetsu." Aomine's tone held a warning which was, of course, ignored by Kuroko.

"I am not starting anything, Aomine-_kun_. It has just come to my attention how … different you've been acting around this Kise Ryouta. If I may speak out my mind, I'll even say that you seem to be unusually interested in him."

"Heh," Aomine's smirk curled wider. "I guess you are not wrong. I do … feel curios about him. He's different from the other opponents I've faced up until now. He is the first person whose skill is equal with mine. I would like to see which one of us is actually stronger in a duel. His appearance is also pleasing to the eyes, don't you think? It has been a while since I have someone to warm my bed, and although he is no lady, he can surely keep me entertained. I can use him if he's alive; that's the only reason I didn't kill him. I don't need his heart. I only want to claim his body as mine."

Kuroko sighed ever so softly. "You may say so, but your actions speak louder than any words, Sire. If you are sure you can be satisfied with his body only, though, I wish you luck with that."

"I don't need to hear that from you. Besides, don't you have anything else to tell me, Tetsu?" Aomine moved out from the bed and took a seat on the head of the table. He put his elbow up and rested his cheek on his palm as he continued, "You also seem to have an unusual interest in that red head vice-general. What is his name? I am quite sure Kise called him Kagami_cchi_."

"His name is Kagami Taiga. He is not only a vice-general, but also one of Teikou's princes. He is King Akashi's half-blood brother, but not many people know of this information. I am quite sure Kise Ryouta knows about it, that's why he even accepted your deal in order to save Kagami. From what I've gathered, Kise is very loyal to the royal family. It would not be strange if he would gladly exchange his life for their safety."

Aomine's mind digested the information Kuroko gave. So they had unintentionally captured a prince. It was a pleasant surprise and Aomine was grateful he managed to stop Hanamiya from killing Kagami just in time. Holding someone of such high status hostage would sure be advantageous for them. It would make them have a power to hold against Teikou. On the other hand, Aomine was sure King Akashi wouldn't stay quiet once the current situation reached his ears. Teikou had been quite passive in this war up until now, only answering to an attack initiated by Touou, but losing a prince, a royal member, was not something that could be taken lightly. After all, the royals were what ensured a kingdom's continuation. Once the royal family was slaughtered, the kingdom would surely fall along with them. Teikou would surely find ways to bring their missing prince back. Perhaps it would be good for Touou to start preparing their armies for a counter attack from Teikou.

Aomine's blood boiled pleasantly with excitement as he imagined the battle that would once again break if that were to happen. As long as he had Kise, though, Aomine was sure he would be able to win any battle against Teikou easily. Kise was the kingdom's supreme commandant general. If he had managed to reach that position, it could only mean he was the strongest warrior in Teikou.

"Have you ever told this information to anyone else, Tetsu?"

"No, only to you, Aomine-_kun_, and I hope you will keep this information to yourself. I don't want King Imayoshi knows about Kagami's royal status."

Aomine's brows hit his hairline. Although it was not unusual for Kuroko to have his own plans, but this was the first time he ever told Aomine to hide information from their king. Coming from someone of Kuroko's status, it could be considered as a treason, but Aomine knew Kuroko trusted him fully—at least enough for him to share the information—and so he decided to play along for now.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who is acting strange around the spoils of war. Alright, I will respect your wish, Tetsu, but tell me, why would you go that far to protect his identity?"

"I am not so sure, either," Kuroko tilted his head with light frown, as if questioning his self about it. "but I know for sure King Imayoshi will execute him once he finds out about Kagami's status. I have a hunch that we will need Kagami in the future, that's why I can't let him die."

"If it's anyone else but you saying that to me, I will send them to see a healer, but your strange hunch has come true at times. You are right about my brother; he will surely kill Kagami if he knows he was a prince, so I will believe your hunch this time. Just make sure your prince doesn't get too obnoxious. I can't promise not to kill him if he gets on my nerves."

Kuroko curled his lips slightly. "I understand. I will try my best to keep you two away from each other. Thank you, My Lord."

**xXXx**

Meanwhile, in another tent separated from the others, Kagami Taiga was seething in anger. He tried to struggle against the bound on his wrists and legs, but it just made the thick rope bit into his tender skin instead. The fact he had almost no strength left after the whole event that had occurred didn't help his case either. Kagami was furious, yes, but in his current stead, there was nothing he could do. With a disgruntled groan, he finally gave up and simply lay on the ground. He was far from surrendering, though. He just needed to collect enough strength before trying again.

"Are you dead, Kagami-_kun_?"

"GAH!" Kagami shouted in surprise when he heard the sudden soft voice. He lifted his head and saw Kuroko squatting just few feet away from him. Behind the teal haired man, two guards were standing by with their weapons drawn. Apparently, they didn't want to take the risk of Kagami trying anything to Kuroko. Kagami inwardly rolled his eyes once his heartbeats had returned to normal. Shifting his attention back at Kuroko's expressionless face, Kagami growled out, "No, I'm not dead yet. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Why will I be disappointed?" Kuroko tilted his head in the perfect epitome of innocent curiosity. "I think you get the wrong idea. I don't want to see you dead, Kagami-_kun_. Otherwise, I'd have let you fight to your death back in the battlefield."

Kagami scoffed, but otherwise didn't say anything. There was no hint of mockery in Kuroko's tone. It was as if the other man really was hoping to keep Kagami alive, even though they were still practically enemies. This was the first time Kagami had ever met someone like Kuroko and, to be honest, it baffled him. Deciding to keep his confusion to himself, Kagami asked roughly, "What brings you here, then? Do you come to watch me in this pathetic situation? I will have to ask you to leave if that's your intention."

"No, I'm here to bring you dinner. I'm sure you are hungry."

Kagami had never noticed the bowl Kuroko brought in hands until the other man said that. Once he registered the fact Kuroko was bringing him food, though, his stomach decided to humiliate him by growling loudly. Kagami disguised his embarrassment with a mighty glare towards unperturbed Kuroko. He was hungry, indeed, but there was no way Kagami would accept food from his enemy. Not even if it would kill him in the end.

"How should I know you don't put poison in it?" he asked in suspicion.

Kuroko blinked as if the thought had just occurred to him and that simple action was enough to convince Kagami there was no poison inside the food, but he would not give in. Not so easily. His amber colored irises watched as Kuroko took a spoonful of the food and ate it slowly before swallowing, their eyes keeping contact all the time. Kuroko was silent for a minute or so after swallowing before he finally nodded to himself and spoke,

"There is no poison inside." Kuroko's tone was confident although it was already obvious, because he would be dead already if there really was a poison inside the food.

Kagami could only stare at his strange captive for a moment, trying and failing to comprehend the thoughts going inside the other's head. Finally, he sighed. Kagami didn't particularly like it, but whenever he was with Kuroko, he was rudely being reminded that he should still keep his life above his own pride.

"Fine. Give it to me." Kagami finally grunted in resigned manner. He then tilted his head towards his bonded hands. "You will have to release me, though. I can't eat with my wrists bonded like this."

"I apologize, Kagami-_kun_, but I can't do that. My general had said that while I can feed you, I am to keep you bonded by any costs. He didn't want to take a risk. I am not a great fighter, I'm sure you have noticed that."

"… Stop jesting! There is no way I will let you feed me like I'm some incapable infant!" Kagami managed to say in disgust once he overcame his shock. "I would rather starve than be humiliated like that!"

The guards behind Kuroko snarled at Kagami, angry with his presumptuous words. They both took a step forward while pointing their weapons threateningly, but then they were stopped by Kuroko with a simple hand gesture. He was still staring calmly at Kagami, as if he was trying not to aggravate a wild, dangerous animal. Under that calm, level look, Kagami could feel his own flaring temper slowly coming down and it was just ridiculous because he shouldn't feel this calm—this trusting—to an enemy. A low growl tore its way out of Kagami's lips, but this time his anger was not directed. Kagami was furious with himself. The vice-general turned his head around, unable to keep looking at the level stare directed at him anymore.

"Just … leave. I don't want to see you."

Kuroko heard the unexpected defeat in Kagami's tone. It made his heart wrenched abruptly. He didn't know why seeing the defeated redhead was hurting him too, but perhaps it was because he hadn't expected Kagami to give up. He had thought the other man would keep on struggling; keep on rebelling until he could once again gained his freedom. Kuroko gritted his teeth subtly, the only sign of his frustration that went unnoticed by anyone else.

"I understand," his tone didn't change at all when he said that, although he still couldn't shake the disappointment in his chest. "I will leave you, Kagami-_kun_. I had once told you pride has nothing to do with your life, but I guess I might be wrong. If I had known it would make you lost the will to fight for your life, I would have killed you along with the other soldiers."

Putting the bowl he was holding onto the ground, Kuroko then stood up and walked out of the tent. His face was still as impassive as ever, but he could feel the sting on his palm from where his nails bit into his own skin in order to keep his emotion in check.

**xXXx**

Soft touches against his cheek were what woke Kise up from his deep slumber. It took him a while to really open his eyes and the first thing he saw when his gaze was finally focused was Aomine Daiki gazing down at him with a soft look in his eyes that seemed so foreign. The look made Kise's heart skipped a beat because for a moment there, Aomine didn't look like a brutal monster. He looked _human_. The look was gone once Kise blinked, though, and so he concluded that it was just an imagination created by his fuzzy mind.

"Ah, so the princess has finally awake," Aomine drawled with a mocking smirk. "Did you have a nice dream?"

Instead of answering, Kise turned his head around. He closed his eyes tightly once the vivid images of his men's head rolled off of their necks came back in his mind. He felt the sting of tears pricking at his close eyelids, but Kise held them back. He wouldn't weep in front of Aomine. He wouldn't show that kind of weakness. Kise's body shook slightly as he took in deep, shuddering breaths. Aomine was silent, but Kise could still feel the other's presence on his side, the soft hairs on his neck prickled from the constant gaze Aomine surely had on him.

"If you promise not to struggle, I will take your gag off. I'm sure you're uncomfortable with it." Aomine offered, breaking the silence that once surrounded them.

Kise weighed his chance to escape, but he was so tired and his body still felt heavy from the draught that had been injected into him before. He knew the best option he had now was to cooperate with Aomine. After a small nod from him, Kise could feel Aomine's fingers working on the knot of his gag before the piece of clothing was pulled away from his mouth.

"… Where is Kagami?" Kise was glad his voice didn't waver when he asked that.

"He's being held in another tent. Don't worry, I have told my men not to touch him. Despite what you may think about me, I always keep my promise."

Kise laughed ruefully. "I find it hard to believe from what I've seen."

"You can believe what you want, Kise, but rather than worrying about your vice-general, I think you should worry about your own safety first." The bed dipped under Aomine's weight when he moved to loom over Kise's body. Aomine's smirk widened as he saw the way Kise cringed from their close proximity. Apparently, the other man still hadn't forgotten their previous kiss.

"So tell me, Kise Ryouta, how far will you go to save your dear prince Kagami?"

It was impossible to miss the way Kise's whole body tensed as he heard Aomine's words. When he turned around to look up at Aomine, there was obvious fear in Kise's topaz orbs. Aomine decided he liked the scared expression on the other man's face too, although perhaps not as much as he liked the furious one. Kise kept his mouth tightly shut; as if afraid he would accidentally give Aomine more information about Kagami. It didn't matter, though, because Aomine would surely know more from Kuroko. For now, he only wanted to mess with Kise's pretty head for a bit.

"Can you imagine what I can do with a captive prince? He will be a perfect bargaining tool. I am quite sure not even the notorious King Akashi would be so cruel as to let his own brother being killed. It's too bad my king is not as generous as yours. He doesn't like to keep hostages, you see. In his mind, it's only a waste of place and food—no matter the fact prisoners are only given the barest nourishment. If the information of Kagami's status reaches his ears, not even I will be able to save your prince's life." Aomine lowered his head to whisper against Kise's ear, "So tell me, what you will give to me to make sure I keep that information to myself?"

Kise had never hated anyone as much as he hated Aomine. The way he talked, the words coming out of his mouth. Everything about Aomine only made Kise hated him more. All that Kise wanted right now was to rip off his bonds and just killed the arrogant, barbaric general, no matter the consequence that would surely come afterwards, but Aomine's weight was crushing down on him, holding him in place and Kise couldn't even move from under his captive. Kise had never felt this helpless before, not even in the past when he was merely a prisoner back in Teikou. It was a foreign feeling and he decided he hated it almost as much as he hated Aomine.

"I've agreed to your deal. I've promised to serve only you, abandoning my own king. What else do you want from me, Aomine?" Kise hissed through gritted teeth.

"I want you to go through that pledge, Kise," Aomine's deep voice was so sinful it made Kise shivered. His breath tickled Kise's ear and he couldn't help but to squirm slightly, trying to move away from the moist heat. Aomine was having none of that, though. He pulled away slightly only to hold Kise's shoulders with his hands, assuring the blond was staying still on his place as he continued, "I want you to serve me with your everything: your body, your soul, your mind—everything. Bow down to me, obey my every word, and fulfill my every wish. Become mine and I will protect anyone you ask me to."

"Why would you do that to an enemy? You should have just killed me! Why do you keep me alive only to humiliate me like this?!" Angry tears made their tracks down Kise's cheeks. His topaz orbs burned with hatred, both to the man above him and to himself. Kise hated the fact he couldn't do anything to fight against Aomine. More than the actual physical pain he felt, the humiliation for having to obey to Aomine's words was even worse.

"This has nothing to do with humiliation," although the thought excited Aomine too, but he cared not about such trivial thing like that. "This is about getting what I want. You are already mine by default, because you are my spoil of war, but I am a greedy man, Kise. I won't be satisfied by your body only. I _will _have your everything, taking them away from you slowly but surely. I will take pleasure from doing it, but you don't need to worry, because I will make sure you enjoy it too."

"You have lost your mind if you think I will ever enjoy being treated as nothing but a slave!"

"Oh, you will enjoy it, Kise," Aomine smirked maliciously. "You will _learn _to enjoy it. Even if you hate it at first, but I promise you soon you will enjoy everything I give to you. I will conquer you, body, heart and soul. But first … I will start with your body."

* * *

**To be Continued …**

* * *

**A/N: **_Yes, I think the next chapter you all will finally get some M-rated action. Probably not one that you will expect, though.  
_


	5. Disgust

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 05 – Disgust**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N: **_So, apparently I've made many people frustrated with the ending of the previous chapter. I do feel proud of myself for that. LOL. Nah, it made me feel slightly guilty, so I tried to write the next chapter ASAP and here you have it, the continuation that will hopefully manage to satisfy you perverts a little bit. The smut is here, but don't expect _too _much. Kise still has lots of things to go through before the real fun happens. Thank you ever so much for all the reviews/favs/alerts, as always! They really cheer me up and push me to write more to keep up with all the demands._

_On the other note, I can't promise when the next update will be. I am working on my thesis and soon I will have my final exams, so the chance of me writing the continuation will be very slim. I will try to update after at most two weeks, though, and I promise I won't abandon this story._

_Special thanks for dear __**Manzzeii **__for the amazing work. A really dedicated beta, I am lucky to have you._

* * *

Disgust. It coursed in Kise's veins, making his blood boiled like molten lava. He tried to shut his eyes tight, to block the reality that was too much for him, but Aomine's tongue was warm on his skin as he licked the sweat off of the milky pale canvas and his teeth hurt just a little as they bit and nibbled on Kise's sensitized skin. It was so wrong, so _disgusting _and Kise couldn't understand the heat that slowly surged in his body, making him wanted to pull away yet push his body closer to the torturous touches at the same time.

"Stop it!" Kise tried to struggle, to push Aomine's weight off of him, but he was too weak to do so. A shiver ran through his body when Aomine's hand crawled up on his chest and a surprised gasp escaped his lips when he felt a thumb and forefinger pinching at his nipple. It hurt, yet at the same time it also gave Kise a jolt of pleasure he had never felt before. Kise squirmed as blood rushed to his manhood against his wish, his body flushed from the sheer embarrassment he felt.

"You told me to stop and yet your body is responding to my touches so sweetly. You are such a bad liar, Kise." The amusement was clear in Aomine's tone. He was enjoying the sight in front of him. Kise's pale body was deliciously flushed, his nipples erect from both the cold weather and Aomine's touches. The pink nubs caught Aomine's attention and he indulged himself by taking a taste of the nub with his mouth. The startled moan Kise couldn't hold back when Aomine's lips closed on his nipple was very sweet.

"N-no! Let me go, you bastard! Don't—ngh!" Kise squirmed as he got more and more uncomfortable. He didn't—_shouldn't_—enjoy this, damn it! He was being used, played like he was some kind of lowly concubine and he definitely didn't enjoy the way Aomine bit down at his nipple, sending a mixed of pain and pleasure straight to Kise's brain and making it too damn hard to think.

Aomine didn't answer. He was too busy playing with Kise's nipples and he let it go only when he was satisfied. Once finished with the delicious pink nubs, Aomine only wanted more and Kise didn't make it any easier for himself by struggling weakly. Kise should have known there was nothing he could do, more over with his wrists and ankles still bonded. All the struggles he did just make his hot skin rub against Aomine's body and it was doing Hell to Aomine's own arousal.

"Stop your struggling unless you want me to actually take you right now."

Aomine's low growl was full of lust. Kise knew he would follow through with his words if Kise didn't obey him and there was nothing more humiliating than being taken against his will, so Kise glared at Aomine before slowly—painstakingly slowly—stopped his struggle although his body was still tense. "If you are not intending to take me, then why…?"

"I want you to be able to serve me using your body," Aomine brushed his lips against Kise's as a reward for his obedience, but he pulled away fast enough before Kise could bite him again. He then brought out a small dagger, moving it almost lovingly along Kise's cotton trousers. The sharp blade sliced the piece of clothing easily, almost like sinking into butter. The dagger moved up to the waistband, cutting it open. "In order to achieve that, I will have to teach you about pleasure first."

"What do you mean—Ah! STOP!"

Kise jerked violently when his tattered trousers were ripped off quite roughly. His body flushed darker as his whole body was now exposed for Aomine's eyes to feast upon. Kise's manhood was standing proud, despite the utter self-disgust chewing him from inside, and Aomine watched it with dark eyes filled with so much lust and want that Kise shivered violently. Before Kise could collect back his thoughts, Aomine had already grabbed the hot flesh tightly, running his thumb through the length as if assessing it and comparing it to his own.

"Is this the first time someone has touched you like this?"

Faintly, Kise's brain registered the question, but he couldn't answer—he couldn't even think of an answer. Aomine's hand was scorching him, making him yowl and squirm and shiver from the intense pleasure. His body was heating up unbearably; it was as though he was burning alive. Kise tried to hold back the noises of pleasure stumbling off of his lips, because he wouldn't let Aomine know how much this affected him, but when Aomine rubbed his thumb on the head of Kise's manhood _just so_, Kise couldn't stop crying out in sublime voice.

Tears made Kise's cheeks glistened under the candle's fire. He thought this must be the worse situation he could have gotten into, naked and humiliated under his enemy while the other man was watching each and every response Kise's body gave to him from above him. Aomine was still wearing his full clothes; Kise knew because he could feel the silky texture of his tunic's sleeve brushing against his throbbing flesh, and that fact screamed Aomine's dominance over him. It showed the power Aomine had over his captive. To make everything worse, Kise could feel the heat pooling on his lower stomach building up. Kise's body shook violently, trying to hold back the climax that would be marked as Aomine's victory over his body.

All of his effort was rendered useless when Aomine's lips descended on the rigid flesh. Slick, hot tongue swirled once, then twice, on the length, leaving fiery trail of saliva afterwards before scorching mouth closed around the head tightly. Aomine's nails dig into the soft skin of his inner thighs, raking and would surely leave long red marks afterwards.

Kise finally surrendered when Aomine slowly slid his lips down on his length, taking more and more of it into his orifice. He could feel every inch of him slowly getting into Aomine's mouth. He was overly aware of Aomine's slick tongue as it traced the veins lining his length. He was overwhelmed with pleasure, until he finally choked out a cry and exploded inside Aomine's mouth.

For seconds, Kise's mind was blissfully blank. He was unaware of everything, of the way Aomine's muscles contracted around his slowly softening length as he swallowed Kise's seed, of the flickering candle's fire that was disturbed by his movement and of the way Aomine was watching his with what could be described as adoration once he was finished.

"As I thought, you taste very delicious, Kise."

It was the last thing Kise heard before he gave in to the exhaustion of his mind and body.

**xXXx**

When Kise next woke up, he found himself still naked but with a soft animal skin thrown on him. It barely covered his body, but it was better than nothing. Memories of last night returned to him in full force once he had gathered enough awareness and it made his body flushed immediately. Kise groaned. He had never been humiliated like that beforehand and Aomine—he didn't even look affected by the things he had done! Kise silently wondered how more heartless could that man be.

Thinking about Aomine reminded Kise that he was currently staying in his tent. Slowly bringing his exhausted body into a sitting position, Kise's eyes roamed inside the tent. Aomine was nowhere to be seen. Good. It gave Kise time to control his rapidly beating heart back to normal and to assess his condition. The first thing Kise noticed was the thirst. He hadn't been given any water since he was captured and now his throat was parched. After that came the hunger. His stomach was trying to chew him inside out, but Kise knew it wouldn't get anything from it. This situation put him in a peril. There was no way Kise would be able to fight in his current condition.

However, Kise knew only mourning over everything wouldn't result in anything, so he decided to inspect his surroundings. He was inside the commandant's tent. Surely there was something he could use as a weapon or perhaps there would be a hint of Aomine's next plan lying around somewhere.

The tent was quite big, Kise noted without much surprise. There was a long desk in the center, just few steps away from the mattress he was currently in. The whole nation's map was opened on the center and there was Aomine's armor, put on the desk quite carelessly. There were few scrolls scattered on it, but Kise knew Aomine would surely notice if he opened one. Not that Kise cared. He found it hard to be scared of consequences after what he had just experienced. Surely nothing was worse than that.

For now, Kise would leave those tempting scrolls alone. He needed to find something more important—a weapon, so he could free himself and perhaps slit Aomine's throat later. Topaz orbs continued their inspection. On one side of the tent, near the other end of the mattress, there was a small desk. A beautiful chandelier which provided the only lighting in the tent rested on it and, besides the chandelier, there was a small dagger. Kise remembered it as the same dagger Aomine had used to cut his trousers, apparently forgotten when Aomine left the tent. The sight of that dagger sent Kise's heart racing with hope. He would be able to leave once he managed to free himself. The problem now lie on the fact his ankles and wrists were still tied up, but the desk wasn't that far from the mattress.

Carefully, Kise tried to squirm around. He managed to turn his body towards the desk's direction. He then crawled on his stomach, slowly, trying to keep his balance with tied hands behind him, uncaring about his naked body which was once again exposed since the animal skin had fallen off of him. Just a little bit more. Kise could already see the reflection of fire on the dagger's shiny surface and it was oh-so tempting. He arrived at the edge of the mattress and tried to stretch his body towards the dagger. If only he could take the dagger with his mouth!

"May I ask what you are doing?"

Kise jolted in surprise, his precarious balance lost immediately and gravity pulled him cruelly towards the ground, leaving him looking ridiculous with half of his body almost sprawled on the ground while the other half still on the mattress. It was embarrassing and also painful. He shut his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching, not wanting to see Aomine's mocking smirk so soon.

"Are you alright?"

The voice asked again and this time it was obvious that whoever this person was, he was not Aomine. The barbaric general would never asked Kise if he was alright, especially not when he saw him in an embarrassing situation like this. If it was Aomine, Kise was sure he would have received degrading laugh right now. Kise turned his head slightly towards the voice's source, only to see the teal haired man he had met once before, squatting in front of him with an expressionless face.

"Do you need help?" Kuroko asked again once he was sure Kise had heard him. His blue sky irises still locked on Kise's topaz orbs, as if in an effort to keep Kise's dignity by not seeing his naked body.

"I—well, yes, I will appreciate the help." Kise finally said once he managed to overcome his confusion. He watched as the teal haired man nodded before lifting him back towards the mattress. Kuroko's hands on his skin were gentle and his touches were polite, so different with Aomine's. Kise was grateful, because it made him able to control the fear he instantly felt at the thought of being touched _again_.

Once Kise was settled on the mattress, Kuroko put the animal skin back to cover the other's private parts before he turned around and walked towards the desk where the dagger rested. His blue eyes lighted up in understanding as he took the dagger, weighing it in his hand. Kise was silent. He simply watched the foreign man with cautious eyes. It was obvious his intention was revealed already and he didn't know what punishment he would receive.

"You can hurt yourself if you take this dagger with your mouth."

Kuroko's voice was calm. It only served to make Kise even more worried. He knew cold headed person usually were more dangerous than the hot headed ones. They were unpredictable, capable of hiding their rage and true feelings beneath calm, unbreakable façades. Kuroko didn't seem angry, though. Kise couldn't see any sign of tension on the other's body. It was as though Kuroko really wasn't worried about anything.

"What would you do if you had managed to get this?"

"I was going to free myself," Kise answered after weighing his options. After a moment, he decided to test the other. "Then, I had planned to slit Aomine's throat with it."

Kuroko's eyes shifted to his, but they were still as emotionless as ever. It baffled Kise even more. Wasn't this strange, emotionless man a part of Touou's army? He was one of Aomine's men, but there was no anger or suspicion in his eyes even after Kise had revealed his true intentions. Kuroko didn't think Kise was lying or simply barking, but he just didn't seem to care. It was not an attitude a loyal soldier would give towards an enemy. Especially not one who had blatantly said they were planning to kill the general.

"I don't think you will be able to do that, Aomine-_kun _is stronger than you," Kuroko moved towards Kise, ignoring the glare he received and simply sat on the mattress' edge. He cut the rope binding Kise's wrists without words, but keeping the dagger close to the small of Kise's back in a warning as he continued, "I will release your ankles, if you promise you won't attack me."

"I promise." It was a fair enough exchange.

Kuroko nodded once again before cutting the bond around Kise's ankles. Once he was freed from all bonds, Kise rubbed his sore wrists. There were angry red lines circling them, some dry blood dirtying the skin around it. Kise considered running off—while he had promised not to attack Kuroko, he hadn't promised not to escape—but Kuroko was already blocking the only way out, dagger still in his hand. Kise knew he wouldn't be able to win a fight right now. So he opted to pull his knees close to his chest in order to cover his body better before speaking,

"Thank you. Although, you didn't actually need to help me, since we are still enemies."

"I don't think it matters. You are still a person. That is enough reason for me to help you." Kuroko slipped the dagger between the belts of his tunic. He ran impassive eyes along the length of Kise's body before a faint frown appeared on his face. It was the most expression Kise had ever seen from him. When he next spoke, there was the barest hint of annoyance slipping into his tone.

"Aomine-_kun _shouldn't leave you naked like that. You will catch cold before we go back to Touou."

Kise could only blink as Kuroko rummaged through a chest containing Aomine's clothings. After a moment, the teal haired man then gave him cotton trousers similar to what he had worn before. Kise accepted it in dazed confusion, but he actually was grateful. "Thank you again. I don't think I've caught your name. I'm Kise Ryouta."

"Kuroko Tetsuya," Kuroko took one of Aomine's tunics from inside the chest and once again gave it to Kise before turning around to give the other man privacy while he dressed up.

"Kuroko," Kise repeated the name after he finished dressing. He was hesitant to wear Aomine's clothes, but it was better than being naked. The weather was indeed cold. "I am grateful for your help, but I find it hard to believe you came here only to help me."

"Aomine-_kun _sent me here to watch over you. He didn't want you to 'plan something stupid', as he phrased it."

"Where is Aomine now?"

"He is having a talk with Kagami-_kun_."

Kise's blood ran cold with fear.

**xXXx**

"Leave us alone." Aomine ordered the guards standing behind him once he entered Kagami's tent. His dark blue orbs locked to the angry amber ones looking up at him. The guards were hesitant for a moment, catching each other's eyes with confusion clear on their faces, before finally obeying the order.

Kagami was sitting still inside the tent. The bowl Kuroko had left was now empty; his hunger had forced him to push aside his pride and Kagami was grateful he was given soup because there was no water left for him. The small dinner he had didn't manage to return his strength, but it was enough to calm his growling stomach down. His whole body ached with exhaustion and sleep had been calling to him temptingly, coaxing him to surrender to his dreamland, but Kagami forced himself to stay awake. He wouldn't be caught defenseless in front of his enemy and he was glad for his own stubbornness now as he watched Aomine.

"I will not tell you anything." Kagami growled hatefully. If Aomine came to interrogate him, he would not give the man anything. Despite what Kuroko said, Kagami still wouldn't hesitate to kill himself before he betrayed his kingdom.

"I did not need you to tell me anything, _Prince_ Kagami." Aomine drawled before pulling a chair and sitting on it. "I have an offer for you."

Kagami's eyes narrowed. "Kuroko gave you that information." He stated matter-of-factly.

"I see you are not as dumb as you look," Aomine sounded quite pleased. He leaned forward on his chair, watching Kagami with a dangerous smirk on his face. "Indeed, Tetsu told me about your status. It makes sense now why Kise, who was supposed to be your general, the one whom _you _should protect, insisted on protecting you. I am sure you still remember he agreed to the deal I made, in order to save you. I will try my best to keep you alive to honor that. However, there is a small problem about that. You see, my king doesn't like other royals very much, so the only way for me to keep my promise is to claim you as one of my soldiers. I have my own army which my dear brother won't touch. If you agree to become a part of it, I will be able to protect you and your identity. If you refuse, though, I can't guarantee your safety."

"What will it be, then, Kagami?"

Aomine let the silence between them stretched. He knew Kagami wouldn't accept his offer readily. From what he could see, Kagami was a prideful man and he held onto his pride more than Kise. While the blond was also prideful, Kise certainly knew when to cast his pride aside and give into a situation that could become advantageous for him. Kagami, though, he was the type of person who would stubbornly refuse to give in even if it killed him.

Meanwhile, Kagami's mind was working fast. The anger to Kise returned once again when he was reminded of the other's sacrifice in order to save him. Kagami didn't know whether he could forgive Kise for accepting Aomine's offer or not, but he knew Kise only did it out of desperation. It made Kagami hated himself for being so helpless in front of his general. The thought of being branded as Touou's soldier made Kagami sick to the stomach, but Kise—Kise had sacrificed so much to keep Kagami alive. Should he ignore it?

"… The deal you have with Kise … what is it?"

"I told him to abandon his king. I told him to be mine, to serve only me until the day he dies."

Kagami's eyes widened in shock before he closed them regretfully. It was a cruel deal, especially for someone like Kise. Akashi was more than a king to Kise. He was his savior, the one who had saved Kise from loneliness. Kagami knew how much Kise respected their king and the fact he agreed to abandon Akashi to serve Aomine showed how far Kise would do to save him. He couldn't ignore a sacrifice like that.

"Even if I agree to be your soldier, that doesn't mean I will obey you like a good dog. I still desire your life, Prince Aomine."

The smirk on Aomine's face curved wider. "All the reason for you to be my soldier. My soldiers are immune from the law. I deal with them and their problems personally. No one will punish you even if you actually manage to kill me."

Aomine didn't look bothered by it at all. It made Kagami's lips curled bemusedly.

"Fine. I accept your offer."

* * *

**To be Continued …**


	6. Tension

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 06 - Tension  
**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.  
**

**A/N:** _Hello, everyone! I am glad I can greet you all again sooner than I had expected, thanks to a day break in my exam week! I don't think I'll be able to write so fast, but all the supports you gave to me always pushed me to write more. In that note, may I just say you all are so amazing? I can't believe I manage to reach 100 reviews in just 5 chapters! That is just so fantastic! Thank you for those who had reviewed/faved/alerted this story. I hope you will continue to enjoy it._

_In this chapter, we will move from AoKise for a while to look at the current situation in both Teikou and Touou. I hope this will give you a little bit more understanding about the background story and there are more characters (and pairing) shown here! I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and since everyone had been wondering, let me just tell you that the definite pairings in this story will be _AoKise_, _KagaKuro_, and _MidoTaka_. There will be many side pairings, I just haven't decided what.  
_

_Special thanks for **Manzzeii**, my amazing beta, **Blank Angel** for reviewing five chapters in one go, and of course for all my readers and reviewers! I hope you enjoy the story~  
_

* * *

Tension had been high in the Teikou kingdom ever since the first attack from Touou, even though it was not a rare occurrence for a powerful kingdom like Teikou to face adversities from other kingdoms. Teikou's land was big, filled with green fields, lush valleys and forests. The people of Teikou were blessed with healthy livestock and grains grew without problems on their soils. The river flowing through the kingdom ensured their clean water. The worry of starvation never crossed their minds. It made many kingdoms envious, especially the kingdoms with moors and dry grounds that made it impossible for them to plant their own grains. Many wanted to grab the kingdom's territory, but none had succeeded.

Despite the thick tension that could be felt even by the children, the people in Teikou still lived their daily lives normally. The people were worried, indeed, but they also believed in their king, their sovereign, who would always protect those claimed as his. King Akashi never once disappointed his people. The fact Teikou had the strongest armies in the whole nation also helped to calm the panic that would usually take over people's minds in war.

However, the tension in the kingdom had increased lately. The people were blissfully ignorant, knowing nothing of the current war situation and having no real intention to pry further. The only sign of war inside the city was the sight of wives praying for their husbands and children for their fathers, who had rode to the battle. Inside the mighty Teikou's castle the story was completely different.

The members of the court knew of the real war situation. They had been keeping touch with General Kise ever since his army first took off of their land. The news of both the war and the kingdom's situation were exchanged daily, each message a proof that the others were safe.

Two days had passed without any news from Kise. It rang faint warning bells in the royals' minds. The king had given Kise direct orders to keep communication between them and Kise never disobeyed Akashi. He wouldn't have forgotten to send news for two days, without reason. It was possible Kise was still engaged in the battle, making him unable to contact the kingdom for a while, but it was still worrying nevertheless. This had been the longest time with no words from their dispatched army.

"Seijuurou, we should send men to go after them! We need to make sure they are alright!" Himuro Tatsuya, Teikou's second prince, tried to keep his voice calm as he demanded his brother and king to do something. Himuro perhaps was the most distressed person in the throne room now. His face pale with worry and there were faint dark bags under his eyes. Since the beginning, he had itched to dispatch himself, to take his fastest stallion and ride up to the battlefield, but Akashi had banned him to do so. Himuro obeyed, only because Kagami had reassured him they would return soon, bringing victory to the kingdom. Now, instead of returning, Kagami was missing and no one knew what had happened to him.

"My Lord, I don't think we should dispatch another royal member. I loath to say this, but the risk would be too high as of now." The king's regent, Midorima Shintarou, spoke politely. The green haired man looked composed, a contrast with the agitated Himuro, but if one could read him well enough, the slight crease between his brows was a telling-tale of his own worry.

"What do you suggest we do, then, just stand around here while Kise and Kagami might have been killed or, even worse, captured by the Touou's army?" Himuro almost snapped.

"I will never suggest things like that," Midorima sounded just a little bit offended. "I merely want you to calm down so we can find the most effective way to deal with this matter, without risking another life."

"We are risking Kise and Taiga's life with each seconds wasted here!" Unable to take it anymore, Himuro was about to storm off of the throne room. He was incensed by Midorima's apparent calmness and Akashi's silence. Before he could even push the heavy wooden door, though, his king's voice had stopped him dead on track.

"We will not abandon Ryouta or Taiga. However, I do agree with Shintarou. I can't allow you to ride off, Tatsuya. I don't want to give Touou more advantageous hostage if the worst happened."

"How can you be so sure they are still alive?" Himuro asked in soft voice, his head bowed low as he tried to make himself believe Akashi was right. He _wanted _to believe Akashi's words, but he just couldn't shake off the mind image of finding both of his friend and brother's dead body, left in the open to rot with flies and maggots feeding on their flesh.

"I know they are alive. Believe me in this, Tatsuya."

Himuro did. He believed in Akashi wholeheartedly. Not only because Akashi was his king, but also because he knew of Akashi's rare ability to glimpse at the future. The calm in Akashi's voice helped to chase Himuro's fear slightly and the prince turned around finally, eyes determined as he walked back towards the king and his regent. His voice didn't waver at all as he spoke, "Alright, I will not ride off today. I hope you have a good plan, Seijuurou, because if you don't, I will ride off after them tomorrow night and no one will be able to stop me."

A rare faint smile twitched Akashi's lips as he saw the sheer stubbornness in his half-brother's eyes. He had no doubt Himuro would do just as he said. "Rest assured I won't just stand still. I will make Touou pay, if they as much as touch Taiga or Ryouta inappropriately. We will wait for news until tomorrow morning. If nothing comes by then, I allow you to move, Tatsuya, along with a knight of my choosing and some men."

Himuro nodded swiftly. He would take that for now. Despite the worry still consuming him, he would be able to wait until tomorrow. It wouldn't be long until he could confirm Kagami's safety with his own eyes. With the unease he felt, he doubted he would like what he would find, but at least it would be better than being kept in suspense. With a short bow towards Akashi, Himuro then walked out of the throne room. Right now, what he needed to calm down was fresh air.

Akashi watched Himuro's retreating back until the wooden door slammed close behind him, leaving the king and his regent inside. Only then did he shut his eyes, hints of his own anger twisting his expression. Usually, Akashi would make sure he was away from anyone's eyes before letting his emotions got the better of him—he couldn't afford the people to see any hints of weakness—but Midorima was different. They had been together ever since they were just little kids, trained to be king and regent. They shared secrets, hiding nothing from each other and so showing emotions was allowed between them.

"Are you alright, my liege?" Just like Akashi who let his emotions to show on his face, Midorima also allowed his worry to seep into his voice.

"I am fine, Shintarou," Akashi reassured, although his heterochromatic eyes still burned with controlled anger when he opened them again. "You don't need to worry too much."

"It is my job to look after you, my liege."

"Shintarou, there is only the two of us here. There is no need for the formalities." Akashi chuckled, faintly amused by his childhood friend. "I appreciate your dedication to your job, but I really am fine. You need to look after yourself too, my dear regent. I can see you haven't had enough sleep lately."

"I doubt anyone will be able to get a nice, much needed sleep in war time like this, Akashi," Midorima replied in flat tone, his hands unconsciously closing around a small, yellow crystal ball he had brought. Midorima was a superstitious man. He believed in fate so much that he always brought various trinkets with him, believing it to bring luck for the day. Akashi was used with his friend's quirk. He no longer said anything about it, despite how bizarre the items Midorima brought.

"Nevertheless, you have to rest. It's an order from your king. Leave your job for the day and go back to your room. I am quite sure someone is waiting for you there already."

"I don't understand what you are talking about," the blush on Midorima's face belied his words. The regent scoffed when his king simply smirked at him, before bowing low and excusing himself. It was obvious he was dismissed. "Have a nice day, my liege."

"I will try, Shintarou. Rest well."

**xXXx**

Midorima knew sleep would elude him even before he stepped out of the throne room. There were too many things running in his mind at the moment. He would never be able to get a rest in the current situation. He gripped the lucky item in his hand once again, trying to calm his rising anxiety. While he was not as close to either Kagami or Kise as Himuro and Akashi were, but the lack of news from them still managed to ruffle his controlled emotion. Kise was the strongest warrior in their kingdom—with the exception of King Akashi himself—and so if the army he had led failed, it would certainly become problematic for their kingdom.

However, while the current outcome was unpredicted, it was not exactly surprising. It was a common knowledge that Touou's people were strong. They were blessed with more stamina and physical power than the other tribes and they were raised in a kingdom filled with conflicts, only the strongest would survive there. For as long as Midorima could remember, Touou had always been known as a volatile kingdom. The royals usually were hotheaded and almost always had an unhealthy interest in fighting. As a result, they cared more about expanding their territories by conquering smaller kingdoms than taking care of their people.

King Imayoshi was not an exception. Ever since he was crowned few years ago, he had immediately commanded the expansion of his kingdom and it hadn't stopped until now. His campaigns were filled with blood, but he didn't seem to care about it. Just a month ago, King Imayoshi deemed his armies were ready to challenge the strongest force in the whole nation: Teikou kingdom. It was not a matter of siege, because the attacks Teikou received were not heavy enough for a siege, and perhaps that was what angered Akashi the most. Imayoshi was not doing war for honorable cause, for the sake of his people. He was only sending his men to war because he loved it. Midorima knew there was nothing Akashi loathed more than useless bloodshed.

For a long time, Teikou had always managed to push Touou's armies back, but the attacks never stopped. If anything, Touou started to send larger armies, until finally Akashi dispatched Kise Ryouta, his most trusted general, with an army of their finest soldiers. It was unnerving to think their best army had fallen, but Midorima knew Teikou would be able to gather their lost strength in short amount of time. Akashi was an excellent leader. He always made sure he had other plans in case things went wrong.

That knowledge did little to soothe Midorima's worry and the amount of problems he had to handle beside the war was starting to make his head ache. Midorima hastened his pace, wanting nothing more than to get into his room and rest—just as Akashi had suggested. However, his desire was gone as soon as he stepped into his room. He froze just as the door slammed shut behind him, staring without blinking at the man who was sitting innocently on his mattress.

All of the sudden, he could hear Akashi's voice in his head, almost as clear as if the king was standing beside him. _Someone is waiting for you_. Damn Akashi and his ability to predict the future.

"Ah, Shin-_chan_, you are finally back! One of the kind maids told me you were called by King Akashi, so I've been waiting for you here ever since!"

The man's cheerful voice was making Midorima's head hurt even more. The regent closed his eyes, taking few deep breaths to hold back his anger. His uninvited guest didn't seem to take the hint, instead stepping closer to Midorima until he could feel a presence violating his personal space. Then soft lips touched his and that was when Midorima lost any resemblance of control on his emotions.

"TAKAO! What do you think you are doing, going into people's room uninvited?! I can put you on trial for trespassing! Moreover, you are a knight from another kingdom and in a situation like this, you can be considered as spy for invading the castle, you big idiot!" Midorima pushed the man roughly away with a dangerous growl, ignoring the way the other man stumbled.

Takao Kazunari, a noble knight and lord of Kazunaris from Shuutoku, didn't even bat an eye under Midorima's anger. The only sign of his surprise was the slight lift of his eyebrows. A not-so-innocent grin then curved his lips before he reached his hands out to loop them around Midorima's neck. Takao had to stand on his tiptoes to do that, curse Midorima's height, but he didn't mind. It was always fun seeing his lover's annoyed face so close like this.

"I can see you are way too tense, Shin-_chan_. Just let me help you relax, okay? You know I will always support you whatever happen, so don't worry too much."

"Why do people always tell me to not worry, when they keep doing things that make me worry?" Midorima asked in wry tone, but he didn't push Takao away this time. He even took a step closer to the dark haired man, despite his obvious annoyance.

"That is because Shin-_chan _does worry too much, even though you try to hide it with sharp words. Truly, you need to be more honest to yourself."

"You need to learn more about modesty."

"You have enough modesty for the both of us. That is more than enough already. Now, I want to kiss you, so let's stop talking."

For once, Midorima actually listened to Takao's words and he was silent when Takao pulled him down. He didn't say a word when Takao's lips touched his again and he didn't complain when the kiss became deeper as tongue started to play along. For once, Midorima didn't care. Akashi had ordered him to rest and he was quite sure Takao would be able to help him rest in the most pleasurable ways.

**xXXx**

Before Kise was knighted and then chosen as the commandant general, that title belonged to Haizaki Shougo. The man was born from a noble family, blessed with the knight title from the day he was born. Haizaki was a strong warrior, capable to fight skillfully using any kind of weapons or even bare-handed, although his preferred weapon was a short sword which was also his family's heirloom. He was taught in the art of warfare ever since he could read and he enjoyed the theory almost as much as the practical classes. With his skill, knowledge and background, no one was surprised when the late-king appointed him as the commandant general despite his young age.

It was quite humiliating for Haizaki to have the title stolen from him by some new pretty boy. He couldn't say he didn't hold a grudge against Kise for that, but like every wise generals, he had learned to control his anger. Besides, it was almost impossible for him to truly hate Kise, since it was him who had taught the blond all about the art of warfare and swordplay. Kise was his first and only pupil. Haizaki would even admit that he considered Kise as more than a friend or a brother. They were fellow knights who had been fighting side-by-side in life and death situations. Kise had put his life in Haizaki's hands and vice-versa. A grudge couldn't stand long under that kind of bond.

However, it had indeed been a while since his last fight alongside with Kise. When Kise took over his position, Akashi had taken Haizaki out of the main army and put him in charge of a different army—an army that would fight to protect their kingdom if Kise's ever failed. The soldiers he trained were just as skillful as Kise's, if not more savage because they were trained under Haizaki's ruthless orders. Considering the situation in hand, Haizaki was almost certain his army would finally move on an attack soon.

Haizaki was supervising his men training when one of the royal guards came up to him and said the king was waiting for him in the throne room. He simply nodded, a smirk already curling his lips. He knew what Akashi wanted to talk about. It was quite obvious and, as one of Teikou's generals, he had known about the sudden lack of news from Kise. The situation might have turned worse, but it only made Haizaki's blood sing in excitement. It had been far too long since he last led his army in a war.

The throne room was empty but for Akashi when Haizaki entered. He idly observed this from a single look around the spacious room. The king was standing near the big window, watching his people bustling with activity under them. Akashi's expression was calm and almost serene, glad with the joy he could see in each of his people's face. He was clad in a simple dark red tunic with embroidery around the hem, along with black trousers and boots. In simple clothes, he almost looked like a normal lad, if not for the crown adorning his head.

Haizaki bowed low to his king. "You wish to see me, my king?"

"Indeed. I want you to prepare to ride off tomorrow morning, along with Tatsuya. Take two or three men with you, but no more than that. You are to find out everything that had happened and report back immediately. Do you understand, Shougo?"

"Affirmative, my liege," Haizaki hesitated before adding, "however, don't you think it will be a good time for us to launch a counterattack? Touou's armies must be exhausted. This is a rare chance for us to assure victory."

Akashi's eyes shifted to him wordlessly. He could see the merit in Haizaki's words. Indeed, there was a big chance for them to win if they counterattacked immediately, but the timing was not right. It was not the time yet. He shook his head shortly. "No. We will not counterattack. For now, your priority is to find out if any of our soldiers manage to survive. List all of the fallen, give them proper burial and report everything back to me. You are not to do anything more than that."

The most important thing right now was to make sure Kise and Kagami were alive. Haizaki understood the implied order. He nodded in understanding, trying to not let his disappointment shown on his face.

"Do not worry; the enemy will pay for all the lives they have shed with their blood. Patience and I will let you have your fun." Akashi's voice was firm. He was not generous enough to let the murderers of his people walked away unharmed. No, they would pay for it. Akashi would make sure they suffered, until they were begging for death to stop their pain. Perhaps, when that time came, Akashi would grant them their last wish.

**xXXx**

Unlike Akashi who was silently seething with anger, King Imayoshi was very pleased with the current situation. Just a day ago, he had received a message from Hanamiya about the victory their army managed to take over Teikou's. The news was relieving, although Imayoshi had expected it to happen. He had been planning everything carefully, making sure no one knew of the second army he built after the battle had begun. It was clear the Teikou's army hadn't expected Touou to send aiding troop days after that.

A sly smirk curled Imayoshi's lips as he remembered the content of the message Hanamiya had sent. It was a perfect decision to send Aomine into the war. His dearest brother was the strongest knight in Touou, even better than Imayoshi himself, and he perhaps was the only reason they managed to win the battle. Imayoshi was quite sure no one except for Aomine would be able to fight against Kise Ryouta and win. If he had sent Hanamiya, he would have been killed in a duel against Kise and an army would certainly follow after the fall of their leader.

Yes, everything was going along smoothly, just like it was supposed to be. They had managed to destroy Teikou's main defense force. Surely it would be easier for them to win in the next attack. Hanamiya had asked what they should do next, telling him of Aomine's plan to attack the next Teikou's border. While Imayoshi liked the thought of conquering more of Teikou's territories, Hanamiya's report was giving him something else to think about.

The Touou's king didn't quite sure what to feel when he read about Aomine's insistence of taking Kise Ryouta as a hostage, instead of killing him immediately. This was the first time Aomine had ever done that. To make things even more complicated, Hanamiya had shown, with his words, how protective Aomine was towards his captive. Never, in whole of Imayoshi's life, had he ever seen his brother injuring himself only to protect someone else. This was an unexpected twist in his whole plan and Imayoshi would need to see how it would affect everything.

The reply he sent to Hanamiya was short, only telling them to pull back. He would like to meet the person who had piqued his brother's interest. The order would surely make Aomine angry, but he would have to obey nevertheless. Ah, sometimes Imayoshi thought the best thing about being a king was the power he had over his dear brother.

Imayoshi chuckled slightly, revealing in the beauty of everything going just like he wished. The sound of his mirth attracted the attention of his advisor, who turned towards the king.

"Is everything alright, Sire?"

"Everything is perfect, Satsuki-_chan_. I am just thinking of the reunion we will have with Aomine soon." Imayoshi smiled at his young advisor. Momoi Satsuki was the only woman advisor in the long history of Touou, but she was more than capable for the job.

"Ah, I can understand your feeling then, my lord." Satsuki commented with a soft hum, her pink orbs showing her own happiness. "I can't wait to see Dai-_chan _again too. Hopefully, he isn't badly injured this time."

"There is no need to worry about that, Satsuki-_chan_. Aomine never once lost in a fight, remember?"

The smile on Momoi's face fell slightly. She simply nodded, agreeing to her king's words. It was true. No one had been able to defeat Aomine in a fight before, but it made him lust for strong opponents more and Momoi was afraid that one day, Aomine would go too far in his pursuit of finding an opponent who could defeat him.

Imayoshi lifted his brows when he saw Momoi's gloomy face. He sighed, knowing how much the girl worried about Aomine. "Don't look so gloom, I would rather see you smile while I'm working, Satsuki-_chan_. My head already hurts from seeing all these papers; I won't be able to stand your sad face too. If I tell you a secret, would it cheer you up?"

"A secret, my lord?"

"Yes, a secret," Imayoshi looked back at Momoi with a smirk, seeing the girl's obvious interest. "It seems that Aomine will bring guests with him when he returns. This is such a rare occurrence, don't you think? Perhaps we should celebrate it."

"Guests? Dai-_chan _is taking spoils of war?" Momoi couldn't believe it.

"That is correct. From what Hanamiya told me, Aomine seems quite taken by his spoil of war too. I am sure this will be interesting."

Still in daze, Momoi could only nod her head. She couldn't believe Aomine would spare his enemy's life and instead taking them as spoils of war. For both Aomine and Imayoshi, taking hostages was only a waste of their logistics and time. Whoever these spoils of war were, they must be very special. Despite everything, Momoi knew Imayoshi was right. This would be _very _interesting indeed.

* * *

**To be Continued …**


	7. Oddity

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 07 - Oddity  
**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.  
**

**A/N:** _Hello, everyone! It's been a while, isn't it? Thank you for the well-wishing for my thesis and all. I just hope I haven't let you all wait for too long. This chapter is ... well, I'm not really sure about this chapter. It's been quite a while since I write anything but my thesis and I'm almost afraid I've lost the grip, so to speak. I hope that is not the case though, and that you all will still enjoy this chapter. As always, thank you for the support given to this story. I really appreciate them all! It's really fun reading what you all are thinking of this story!  
_

_Special thanks for **Manzzeii**, my amazing betafor the extremely fast work! Any mistakes you may still find is solely mine alone.  
_

* * *

Oddity. The Touou army was full with it. Kagami realized this as he was brought into a carriage with hands tied behind him. He was left alone with a soldier who had introduced himself as Kiyoshi Teppei and that soldier was what made Kagami think of the oddity that was the Touou's army. For one, Kiyoshi was far too cheerful as a soldier. Kagami swore the man's smile was eternal and he had been talking without stopping since the very first time they departed from the make-shift camp. Kagami hadn't said anything in response, but Kiyoshi was undeterred. Once he figured Kagami preferred to keep silent, he had started to hum some foreign song instead.

Kagami could feel the beginning of headache forming. It didn't help that his shoulder still hurt badly too. Each sting he felt was a sharp reminder of the bright red mark now adorning his body—the mark of Aomine's soldier. Kagami still didn't know how he really felt about that. Thinking only made him feel depressed, so Kagami sighed before leaning his back against the barrels placed in the carriage.

"Oh, are you hungry, Kagami? We should be stopping for a break soon, but I have something if you are already hungry." Apparently, Kiyoshi mistook the meaning behind Kagami's sigh.

Turning his head around, Kagami fixed Kiyoshi with his fiercest scowl. He didn't really want to talk to anyone—let alone to a Touou's soldier, but Kiyoshi just returned his scowl with a cheerful smile while offering a bright red apple in his hand. Kagami's scowl didn't last long. It was hard to keep putting an angry mask while facing such a cheerful person like Kiyoshi. He then turned his head instead, away from Kiyoshi's smiling face.

"I can't eat with my hands tied like this." He refused to be fed or to humiliate himself in front of Kiyoshi. Degrading himself to eat the soup Kuroko had brought to him was enough.

"Oh!" Kiyoshi blinked as if he had just remembered that Kagami was still treated as a prisoner. "I can untie you, if you want? You are one of us now, Prince Aomine's soldier, so really there is no need to tie you up. The royal soldiers should have known that already."

Kagami snorted ridiculously. "They were being cautious, rightfully so. Even though I've been marked as one of you, that doesn't mean I won't try to escape if I have the chance. You are the strange one for offering me freedom so easily. I can always attack you once you untie me."

"Yes, you can do that, but I also can always restrain you forcefully if that happens, so there's no reason why I shouldn't untie you." Kiyoshi answered matter-of-factly, the grin still firmly attached on his face.

"… You are an idiot."

"So I've been told by many people," the smile on Kiyoshi's face turned fond and warm for a second. His eyes gazed out of the carriage, as if remembering things he loved so much. After a while, he sighed and turned back around to face Kagami. His face was still gentle, but he looked more serious as he said, "I know it's hard to be taken away from your land, to be stripped of your pride and dignity, but trust me, you'll be alright in the end. As long as you are alive, there will always be hope for a better future. Not all has been lost, Kagami."

"I'm starting to get sick of hearing those words from people who wouldn't really understand what I'm going through," Kagami growled. First Kuroko and now Kiyoshi, it was easy for them to talk like that while they never felt what it meant to be a prisoner and that words were becoming old ridiculously fast.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," Kiyoshi's tone turned somber, but still with a hint of warmth in it. Kagami hadn't expected to hear that tone from him. It made him turned towards the soldier once more, eyebrows lifted in inquiry. Kiyoshi grinned once before shrugging lightly and making himself more comfortable on the carriage's floor. He wasn't looking at Kagami when he finally said, "most of Prince Aomine's soldiers were actually people whose kingdom had been taken forcefully by Touou's army. I, myself, was once a part of Seirin kingdom, before the late-king invaded our home and overtook it. So, I wasn't lying when I said I know how hard it is to be taken away from your land. Admittedly, I was not like you—a man who upholds his pride very highly—but even so I still felt bitter and sad for quite a long time."

"… But you did agree to be Aomine's soldier. Why?"

"The same reason why you agreed, I guess: because the people I want to protect are still alive. Prince Aomine hadn't always been this merciless, trust me. When he was younger, he was more like your own general—skillful yet kindhearted at the same time. He was the one who made sure the people in my kingdom were spared from death, at least the innocent ones, and he was quite respectable. He gave us, the Seirin's soldiers, two options—whether to die honorably or join him. One of my friends was ready to pick the first option, but thankfully, he came to his senses before the worst could happen."

Kagami could only fall silent after he heard Kiyoshi's story. Indeed, it seemed that Kiyoshi had experienced the same thing as he was, but Kagami found it hard to believe Aomine had ever been kind in anytime of his life. He couldn't detect any bitterness in Kiyoshi's voice though, so what he had said must be nothing but the truth. It made Kagami's mind worked fast. There must be some events that led to Aomine's change of behavior, but if Aomine had upheld chivalry once, then Kise's chance to survive could be bigger than what Kagami once thought.

However, there were still so many things Kagami wanted to know, and so he inquired, "How could you forgive what had been done to your kingdom? Don't you want to take revenge for all the fallen? Are you satisfied with your life now, Kiyoshi?"

Kiyoshi laughed again. "Who wouldn't want revenge? Don't take me wrong, Kagami, I am quite satisfied with my current life, since I still could spend most of my time with the people I love the most this way, but revenge has never once left my mind. I'm quite sure most of Prince Aomine's soldiers feel the same way, since it's not easy to abandon the love and loyalty you had for your kingdom and Prince Aomine knows this. That's why he always takes care of his soldiers' problems in his own way. Whatever you may think of Prince Aomine, the fact is that he's really strong. Lots of his soldiers had challenged him, but none of them had managed to kill him."

"—_Yet_. I haven't had the chance to fight against him yet and I swear with my life that I will kill him." Kagami vowed strongly.

"I wish you luck in that. I will certainly look forward to the day you challenge Prince Aomine," Kiyoshi responded with a playful grin, earning him an exasperated growl from Kagami. It only made Kiyoshi laughed once again. "All those stories aside, what do you say to my offer? If you don't want the apple, I will be glad to take it."

Kagami couldn't hold his lips from quirking upwards at the question. He begrudgingly gave Kiyoshi a smile. It was hard to hate someone like Kiyoshi and their similarities made Kagami want to trust the man. "Fine, release me and give the apple to me."

**xXXx**

"Where are we going?"

Kuroko lifted his head from the book he currently read to look at Kise as he heard the question. The blond general wasn't looking at him; his head turned towards the carriage's window and he gazed out at the passing sceneries instead. Kise's face was an emotionless mask, and yet Kuroko couldn't help but to smile faintly when he saw the obvious anger in Kise's topaz orbs. Apparently, Aomine was right in one thing: Kise was a horrible liar. His eyes were far too honest for a liar.

"We are heading to the Touou kingdom. We will arrive there sometime around the night."

"I see," Kise murmured, eyes still focusing on the scenery outside. They had been moving since the first light, and now the sun was high above the sky. Guessing from what Kuroko had said, they must be halfway to their destination still. Kise closed his eyes. He didn't quite sure what to feel about this journey. Kise had never been to Touou before and now, he would arrive as a spoil of war. For the sake of not thinking about unpleasant things, he asked, "Why don't Aomine attack the next Teikou's border?"

"Because King Imayoshi orders us to pull back." Kuroko closed his book. Apparently, Kise was trying to make a conversation. The least Kuroko could do was to entertain the other.

"King Imayoshi. He's Aomine's brother, right?" Kise glanced at the other only to see Kuroko nodding. He hummed softly, before moving around to make himself comfortable and so he would be able to face Kuroko. "Why are you giving me answers so easily? Won't you be punished for doing that? You don't know what I'll use with the information you gave to me."

"I won't be punished. I've always had a way to avoid getting caught," It was easy to slip away from other people using his misdirection. "Besides, I didn't give you any vital information. What I did give to you wouldn't be enough to endanger my kingdom."

"You're right, but what if one day I take advantage of your kindness and you accidentally slip useful information to me?"

"I won't. I know very well what information I can give and what I should keep," Kuroko's tone didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. He didn't like being taken as an amateur who would accidentally spill vital information. "I also know you won't do things like that. You are far too honorable for using underhanded tricks like that."

Kuroko's gaze was direct and didn't waver. It was Kise who turned his head around in the end. He hated to admit, but Kuroko was right. Kise would never force Kuroko to give him information. Not only because of his principle, but also because Kuroko was the first person who showed him kindness here and Kise always remembered his debt.

The silence that surrounded them after that was broken when Kise spoke up once more, "Do you know … what had happened to Kagami?" Kise's voice was soft and it trembled slightly in terror remembrance. He had heard Kagami's pained shout breaking the chatters of the soldiers last night. He had almost gone ballistic with fury and fear when he heard that, but unfortunately Aomine was there to wrestle him into submission.

For once, Kuroko seemed to hesitate in giving him answer. Kise noted the length of silence that trailed after his question, his eyes narrowed in suspicion and he was about to demand answer when Kuroko finally answered calmly,

"Kagami-_kun _was marked as Aomine's soldier last night."

"… Marked?" Kise echoed faintly, his heart thundering in his chest, sounding loud in his ears. Kise couldn't—wouldn't—understand what Kuroko was saying.

"Yes. Aomine-_kun_ had an army separated from the royal soldiers. The soldiers in that army were chosen directly by himself and Kagami-_kun_ had agreed to be one of Aomine-_kun_'s soldiers. The mark is necessary to tell people of his status."

"You are lying to me," Kise growled, his fists clenched tightly until he could feel the painful sting on his palms in his attempt to not lashing out at Kuroko. "There is no way Kagami would agree to something as presumptuous as that. Kagami is a prince. His status is far higher than any soldiers!"

"Yet he is nothing here in Touou. I'd say Kagami-_kun _had taken the right choice, just like you who had agreed to Aomine-_kun_'s offer."

"But that's different! It's my job to protect the royal family! Aomine had promised he wouldn't touch Kagami, I should have known he would never uphold his promise." Kise's words ended bitterly.

"But don't you think Kagami-_kun _agreed for the same reason as you did?" Kuroko watched as Kise froze at his question and decided to continue bluntly, "Even if you saw Kagami-_kun _as a prince, as someone whom you should protect, don't you think Kagami-_kun _simply sees you as a friend? More than that, even if he is a prince, Kagami-_kun _also is your subordinate. It's only natural for him for wanting to do something _for you _too."

Kise gritted his teeth until he could feel the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. He wanted to hit Kuroko right now, because the blunt truth in the other man's words hurt. Kuroko didn't flinch under Kise's furious gaze, the stare he had on Kise still as calm as ever, as if challenging Kise to lose his control. At that moment, Kise realized he was wrong if he thought he could be friends with Kuroko. True, Kuroko had saved him once, but apparently he was still as obnoxious as the other Touou soldiers. There was no way Kise could get along with someone like him.

Before Kise could say anything, their carriage suddenly halted into a stop. Kise lifted his head, curios, while Kuroko simply stood up and patted invisible dust off of his clothes. When he saw Kise's questioning eyes on him, Kuroko explained, "We're stopping for a quick rest. The soldiers have to eat. I'm sure you are hungry too, I will get something for you."

Kise didn't say anything when Kuroko stepped out of the carriage. Once he was left alone, he sighed and let his body relax while his thoughts were running fast in his mind. To be honest, he had known why Kagami would accept Aomine's offer and perhaps, just like what Kuroko had said, it was for the best. Soldier was a lot more respected position than peasant and it was not something a spoil of war usually would get. In a way, perhaps Kagami was lucky. Begrudgingly, Kise admitted that Aomine hadn't broken their agreement—but Kise still wouldn't hold his breath.

When he heard the sound of the carriage's flap being opened, Kise didn't bother to open his eyes. He figured it must be Kuroko, coming back with food because he could smell the rich scent of soup and something else soon after. The sound of footsteps could be heard afterwards, stopping just few feet before Kise.

"Oy, wake up."

Kise's eyes opened wide as he heard the gruff tone. His body tensed and his senses became hyperaware immediately. Gazing up, Kise could see Aomine standing in front of him with a scowl. He held two bowls in his hands, one bowl filled with warm soup and the other with various berries. Kise's eyes narrowed when Aomine sat down and offered the soup to him. The Touou general looked relax, although his hair seemed darker with sweat.

"Eat up. Kuroko said you are hungry and there will be no more stopping until we reach Touou." Aomine took a berry from his own bowl and ate it carelessly.

Kise turned his head around. "I don't need it."

"Stop being so ridiculously prideful, you need to eat something. I swear there's no poison in it."

"Like I said, I don't need it."

Aomine's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He never was a patient person and Kise was trying his limit. "I _order _you to eat, Kise. Stop being difficult for no reason at all!"

In response to Aomine's gruff order, Kise just glared at the other man. He wouldn't back down and he had no intention in taking orders from Aomine.

"You're asking for it." Aomine growled impatiently before he took a strawberry from his bowl, chewing at it and then, without any warning, pulled Kise close by the scruff of his neck. Before Kise could struggle, Aomine had kissed him hard, one of his hands forcing Kise to open his mouth and then Aomine's tongue slipped in to transfer the chewed strawberry into Kise's mouth. The fruit's juice trickled from the corner of Kise's mouth and the blond finally collected enough coherencies to push against Aomine, but his captor wouldn't budge. Aomine didn't let go of Kise until he pushed the strawberry deeper into Kise's throat until the blond's reflex made him swallowed the fruit. Satisfied, Aomine finally loosened up his grip after licking the spilled juice on the corner of Kise's lips.

Kise lashed out immediately, his nails making long scratches on Aomine's face. He was panting hard, face flushed red from the lack of oxygen, but the glare he gave to Aomine was positively murderous.

Slowly, Aomine lifted his hand to wipe against the blood on his cheek. His navy orbs were dark with anger, yet his lips curled into a smirk as he drawled, "You truly are a feisty kitten. You're just asking to be punished, aren't you?"

"Go to Hell!" Kise snarled venomously.

Aomine laughed cruelly. "Is that the best you can do, Kise?" Still smirking, he then released his grip on Kise completely, before standing up. Without words, he took a dagger out and threw it towards Kise. "Come, let me see just how much you hate me."

Kise's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he took the dagger nevertheless. He was not stupid enough to see the gift horse in the mouth. If Aomine wanted Kise to try and kill him, Kise would gladly do his best to fulfill that wish. He stood up slowly, weighing the dagger as he did so, all the time keeping his gaze steady on Aomine who simply stood there with a smirk on his face. Silence so thick ensured when both generals simply looked at each other, but then Kise charged without warning, the dagger aimed to stab at Aomine's heart.

Aomine didn't move even a bit, simply watching Kise's movements carefully. Just when it seemed that Kise would have succeeded, Aomine suddenly grabbed his wrist and slammed him hard onto the carriage's floor. Kise hissed in pain at the crash, but he lifted his free hand to punch Aomine—only to have his other wrist grabbed too and then Aomine was holding Kise's wrists high above his head in one hand. Kise snarled; struggling furiously until Aomine's hold on his wrists become painful, grinding his bones together and making him yelp as the dagger fell out of his hold.

Aomine put his weight on Kise's stomach, straddling him into submission to make sure he wouldn't struggle more. Kise spat curses madly, but there was little to nothing he could do with Aomine atop of him. In the end, Kise could only glare mightily under Aomine, hating the smug smirk adorning the other's face as he did so.

"You don't even have the strength to kill me while I'm defenseless. How pathetic, Kise."

"Shut up," Kise ground out hatefully. "You don't have the right to say anything to me."

"It seems that you have problem in remembering your place," Aomine's eyes narrowed dangerously as he leaned down at the furious blond, watching with satisfaction as Kise's pupils contracted in his anger. "_You _are the one who has no right to say anything to me. You are _mine_. If I want it, your status will be lower than a mere slave, so it would do you a lot of good if you start to behave from now on."

"I will never obey you like a dog!"

"Like I've said, that's good enough for me. Obedient pets tend to be boring for me. You can be as insolent as you want, as long as you don't cross the line, since you see … I'd oh so love to punish you and your delicious body whenever you're being insolent."

Kise gasped when Aomine's hand slipped under his tunic, lifting it higher until Kise's skin was exposed slowly. His struggle started anew, body trashing wildly under his smug captor. "Bastard! Get off of me, you barbaric monster!"

Aomine just smirked cruelly. "I believe I've told you that you have no right to tell me anything." His tan hand caressed Kise's abdominal skin, watching as the blond shivered under him, before moving even lower until it rested atop of Kise's covered manhood. Kise flinched at the touch and struggled even more wildly.

"NO! Get off of me!"

"What's the matter? Surely after last night this is not so strange for you anymore," Aomine chuckled; lowering his head to brush his lips against Kise's tightly closed ones. "If I remember correctly, you rather enjoyed what we did yesterday."

"You forced yourself on me! I didn't enjoy it in the slight—nggh!" Kise's words were cut off by a grunt when Aomine's hand started to massage his manhood. He screwed his eyes shut as a feeble plea finally escaped his lips, "Stop it … please."

"You do beg so prettily, but unfortunately, I don't want to stop just yet." Aomine's hand now fingered the edge of Kise's trousers, caressing the jut of Kise's hipbones before slipping in. Kise shook his head, denying the reality as his body trembled violently.

"Aomine-_kun_, we are ready to move—" Kuroko stopped his words short when he saw the position Aomine and Kise were currently in. His arrival was greeted by two pairs of eyes, one glaring in annoyance while the other watery from fright. It was such a contrast that made Kuroko's heart go out for Kise just the slightest bit. He managed to keep his face expressionless as he stood there, waiting until Aomine moved off of Kise.

"You really have the worst timing ever, Tetsu," Aomine grumbled as he straightened up. He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated by his childhood friend's arrival.

"My apologies," Kuroko said in the flattest tone he could muster. It was obvious he didn't mean it at all. "but the soldiers are ready to move again. I came here to tell you that."

"Alright, I understand." Sighing, Aomine glanced at Kise who was still trembling slightly before he walked towards Kuroko and said, "Make sure he eats."

"I thought that was what you were going to do." Kuroko said in a tone that told how unimpressed he was, making Aomine grunted before leaving the carriage.

Kuroko watched as the carriage's flap fell close behind Aomine, before taking the bowl of soup from the floor. He didn't say anything while Kise slowly sat up and tidied up his clothes. Kuroko only spoke once Kise had stopped trembling.

"Please eat, Kise-_kun_. You really will need your strength for this journey."

There was no verbal reply from Kise. He simply took the offered bowl of soup and slowly ate it. Kuroko watched this without saying anything, but worry started to appear in his mind. Kise's eyes were different—they were colder than usual and it certainly made alarm bells ring in Kuroko's mind. It was a rare thing for Kuroko to curse at anyone, but at the moment, he was cursing Aomine in his head. If Aomine truly intended to conquer Kise's body _and _his heart, then he was doing entirely the wrong things. Kuroko could only hope his prince would have realized his mistake before everything would be too late.

**xXXx**

In a state of war, hope would only become a hindrance and yet it would still bloom in every man's heart, no matter what the situation was. Himuro Tatsuya wasn't really sure from where he had heard that phrase—perhaps it was from one of his teachers or directly from his late-king's mouth—but he had never found reason to believe it, up until now. As he and Haizaki rode towards the valley where the battle had taken place, Himuro knew he shouldn't be hoping for much. After all, if there had been any survivors in Kise's army, they would have ridden back to the kingdom to deliver the message or to ask for aid. The fact no one had come could only mean one thing, but Himuro refused to believe that.

Hope springs eternal in heart of fools. Himuro never once thought of himself as a fool, but as he arrived in the abandoned battlefield, he surely felt like one when he saw the bodies of their army being left in the open. The hope that had been blooming in Himuro's heart died down almost immediately and he couldn't help the soft gasp escaping from his lips as they rode further, only to find spikes with their soldier's head on it, arranged as a sign of the Touou kingdom's victory. Himuro was by no mean a greenhorn, but it was still devastating seeing the corpse of his own people treated like this.

Haizaki didn't even stop before he jumped down from his stallion and moved closer to inspect the corpse near him. The stench of rotting flesh was nauseating, but Haizaki didn't seem affected by it at all. Himuro followed the other man, his eyes filled with sadness as he took in everything. There were so many bodies. It would take a considerable amount of time to identify each and every corpse. Himuro swallowed his fear down.

"Do you think … we will find Taiga and Kise here?"

Haizaki stood up; his eyes observed the whole of battlefield silently before he shook his head. "No. If they had been killed, I'm sure we would have seen their heads on the spike first and foremost. With their status, their corpses would have more effect for us than mere soldiers'. If we hadn't seen their corpses yet, that could only mean that both of them are still alive."

"It's just like what Seijuurou had said, then." Himuro couldn't help the relief slipping into his tone.

Haizaki's lips curled into a smirk. "Did you doubt the King, My Lord?"

"No, but there's a difference between hearing things and actually seeing it." Himuro answered with a faint smile that disappeared as fast as it had appeared. "Is it bad if I actually feel glad right now?"

"There's nothing wrong with being glad when you know the people you cared about are still alive," Haizaki replied lightly before frowning. "however, it's still far too early to truly feel glad. Ryouta and Prince Kagami may actually still be alive, but now we have different problem."

"What is it?"

"This is still a guess, but I'm quite sure we will be able to count for every soldier except for Ryouta and Prince Kagami here, which could only mean one thing: the Touou's army is pulling back. It would be hard to find out about their conditions once they reached Touou. We have no man in there; no knowledge of the kingdom's guarding system or anything at all. The chance of us actually rescuing them will be very slim."

Once the meaning of Haizaki's words registered in his mind, Himuro was frowning too. "Seijuurou won't be pleased with this news."

"No, he won't," Haizaki agreed. "However, it's the only news we could bring back to him. I would not worry for the king's response right now. After all, we have bodies to bury, Prince Himuro. We have work to do."

* * *

**To be Continued …**

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**A/N:**_ Soo ... how do you all think about Kiyoshi's appearance here? Can anyone guess who will appear in the next chapter, once they arrived in Touou? I'd love to know what you think Akashi would do about the whole things too. Just let me know what you think in the review, because it may even give me more ideas for this story and I simply love review~! Thank you for reading!  
_


	8. Relief

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 08 - Relief  
**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.  
**

**A/N:** _Hello, everyone! So I come again with yet another update. I'm planning for a weekly update for this story. Let's just hope nothing goes against my plans. Thank you as always for all the response you all gave for the previous chapter and I figured I should have done this earlier, because I really appreciate all the reviews I had gotten, so here's the reply for anon or non-member reviews which I can't reply with PM:_

_**Rainnie**: Thank you for your review! Yes, let's just see what Akashi will do later. I don't know about unexpected, but I can assure you his plan will be brilliant. He never can do less than that, after all. Ah, yes, Kise did show too much emotion here, didn't he? That can happen when one is shaken, though. I promise he'll be better in the later chapters._

_**Cupsuke**: Thank you for your review and the hug! I'm glad you like Kiyoshi's appearance in the previous chapter and Aomine will certainly protect Kise from Imayoshi. There's no doubt for that._

_**MonMon**: Thank you for your review and your kind words, I really appreciate them! I love Kiyoshi too and I think he can be a really good 'mentor' for Kagami here. Yes, Akashi will certainly be displeased with the news Haizaki and Himuro will give to him and Murasakibara will appear soon, I think! Aomine does need a good smack on the head, preferably from Kuroko. Let's hope he'll act better soon._

_**Mari**, **Angela**, **Guest** and **Vee**: Thank you for your reviews. I'm glad you like this story and I hope you enjoy this update too. _

_As always, special thanks go to my beta, **Manzzeii**, for looking after this story. Any mistakes you still may find solely belong to me._

* * *

Relief did find its way into Aomine's heart once he saw the familiar structure of the Touou's castle. To be honest, it was funny to feel like that, since he didn't really have many fond memories from his life in the kingdom, but maybe there would always be a special place in everyone's heart for their home.

Aomine led the army into the kingdom once the bridge had been brought down, ignoring the soldiers who greeted him and rode straight towards the castle. Halfway through, he could hear a feminine voice calling out his name. It made him sigh in exasperation, but his lips nevertheless curled into a faint smirk when he saw a lady with pink hair run towards him. Aomine brought his stallion to a halt once Momoi was close enough and jumped off of it.

"Dai-_chan_!" The king's advisor hugged the general without a care to every soldier's eyes, happiness clear in her voice. "I'm so glad you're finally back! Oh, we've been so worried here!"

"Still talking nonsense, Satsuki? I told you there's no need to worry about anything, right? It's not like I will ever lose." Smirking, Aomine returned the hug lightly, taking comfort in the familiar warmth Momoi gave to him.

Momoi pulled back with a pout, her pink colored eyes almost glaring at Aomine. "You don't know that for sure! Nothing is certain in a war, Dai-_chan_, of course I will still be worried about you!"

"Satsuki-_chan _is right, Aomine. With how reckless you are, it's impossible for us to _not _worry about you."

The familiar drawl from his king made Aomine swallow back any reply he might have for Momoi. His eyes went hard and cold in an instance as he gently pushed the girl aside to look at Imayoshi who was walking towards them. The soldiers all around them immediately kneeled in the presence of their king, but Aomine didn't even give a bow to his brother. He simply tilted his head aside, arms crossed on his chest, his posture challenging and defensive at the same time. Imayoshi didn't seem bothered by his brother's disrespect. If anything, the sly grin on his face only widened as if he found it amusing. The king then put a hand warmly on Aomine's shoulder.

"Welcome back, brother. Thank you for bringing victory with you. As expected of my dear brother, I know you will never let me down."

"It is hard to let down someone with such a low standard like you, but I think I will thank you for your kind words nevertheless, brother." Aomine replied with a roll of his eyes, shrugging Imayoshi's hand off of him none-too-gently. Even though they were siblings, their relationship never was a good one. They were not close even as children. Aomine didn't like Imayoshi's sly tricks and slippery mind much, while Imayoshi was jealous for Aomine's power and his skill in battle. Ever since they were little, their relationship had been more like rivalry and it hadn't gotten better even now. "Can we skip the small talk? My soldiers need to rest."

"But of course! Go on ahead, Aomine. I've arranged for a celebratory dinner too. After all, I just can't wait to see the guests you've brought with you!" Imayoshi's grin turned just the slightest bit sharper. His eyes didn't miss the way Aomine clenched his jaw for a second after he said that. It made him feel even more amused. Apparently, Hanamiya was right. Whoever this Kise Ryouta was, he had certainly managed to make Aomine act differently, even if his dear brother hadn't realized it yet. It would be very entertaining to see how far Aomine would go for his precious spoil of war.

However, Aomine seemed to understand Imayoshi's thought very well. Thus, he fixed his king with a hard gaze, telling Imayoshi he wouldn't let things go as he planned. Imayoshi chuckled before dipping his head slightly, acknowledging the warning Aomine gave, but he didn't give any verbal response to that. Aomine growled low, fists clenched tightly and yet there was nothing he could do but watch as Imayoshi walked away from him.

"Dai-_chan _…," Momoi's worried voice broke through Aomine's rage. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to control himself, before grunting to show Momoi he was listening. The girl bit her lower lip, hesitant, before finally deciding to continue, "I don't think it's a good idea to challenge King Imayoshi right now. We are in a war, Dai-_chan_. There's no need to start a new internal problem like this."

"If you are saying that I should get along with my brother now, I will laugh, Satsuki. You know it's impossible. We are not born to _get along_."

Momoi squeezed her hands together in worry. "I know, but …,"

Aomine shook his head, cutting Momoi's words off. When he saw the obvious worry in her face though, his eyes softened and he ruffled Momoi's head gently. "It will be alright, Satsuki. Trust me on this. I will see you in tonight's dinner."

In the end, Momoi could only nod with a faint smile, hoping beyond anything that Aomine was right as he walked pass her without any more words. She couldn't help but gaze at the carriages that accompanied Aomine's army, wondering in undisguised curiosity at the rumored spoil of war that was surely staying inside one of the carriages. Instead of catching glimpse of the spoil of war, Momoi's eyes widened in pleasant surprise when she saw Kuroko stepped out of the carriage. Immediately, her lips curved into a bright grin.

"Tetsu-_kun_!" Momoi almost jumped to hug Kuroko, if only she didn't remember her manners. Kuroko didn't seem surprised to see her or to receive her hug. He was silent in her arms, not protesting but neither was he reciprocating the hug. Momoi didn't seem to mind the lack of response, though.

"It's nice to see you again, Momoi-_san_." Kuroko said in his monotone voice. Once Momoi had released him from her hug, a faint smile appeared on his face. "I hope everything is alright while we are away."

"Oh, yes, everything is alright, Tetsu-_kun_. How about you, though? What happened? How come Dai-_chan _suddenly decided to take spoils of war? You have to tell me absolutely everything before dinner!"

Kuroko sighed lightly. He could see that he wouldn't be able to have time to rest and clean up with how excited Momoi was. He didn't have the heart to refuse Momoi's request though, because he could understand how worried she must have been. Just like him, Momoi was also Aomine's childhood friend and they were the ones who had been together with the general since a very long time. It was only natural Momoi wanted to know everything. The least Kuroko could do was to satisfy her curiosity.

**xXXx**

Kagami couldn't help himself from looking around as Kiyoshi guided him to the servant quarter. Old habit made him immediately take note of possible escape routes, of the guards he could see around and of the crooks on the wall that might hold secret passages. This was Kagami's first time ever to enter the Touou's castle and it was obvious from how he behaved. Slightly ahead of him, Kiyoshi just grinned without saying a word. It was quite amusing seeing Kagami's wide eyed expression. He also knew that deep inside, Kagami would still try to find even the slightest chance to escape, but he didn't have the intention to interfere with that.

"Come on, Kagami, we'll be late if you keep dragging your feet like that." Kiyoshi called out with a hint of amusement, making Kagami turned towards him with the slightest bit of a scowl on his face.

"Where are we going? Why is it so crowded here?" Hastening his pace, Kagami asked once he had arrived beside Kiyoshi, now walking at the same pace with the other man.

"We are going to the kitchen, since I'm quite sure my friends are there. As to why it's so crowded, I think King Imayoshi is about to hold a big dinner to celebrate the return of Prince Aomine. It's also the perfect opportunity to 'present' the spoils of war, you know."

Kagami tensed for a moment, stopping on his steps, before he asked in confusion, "Why am I here then? Shouldn't I be prepared or something? I'm also a spoil of war."

"No, you won't be presented, because you are no longer a spoil of war. You are Prince Aomine's soldier. King Imayoshi understands that, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"How can you tell me to not worry?" Kagami couldn't believe his ears. "If what you said was true, then Kise will be presented alone! How can I leave him for that?! I should be there too, damn it!"

Kiyoshi blinked, turning around to watch the agitated Kagami. He scratched his head idly. He could say he understood what Kagami felt, but he didn't particularly think it would be a good thing for Kagami to attend the dinner. They were not prohibited to join in the event, of course, but he had a feeling the red head would surely go ballistic once he saw his previous general and Kiyoshi really didn't want Kagami to be punished severely. Looking at Kagami though, Kiyoshi knew he wouldn't back down.

"You really want to see the presentation, huh?"

"Of course! I have to make sure Kise is alright!"

Kiyoshi sighed, but then his gentle smile returned to his face as he said, "Alright then, we will sneak into the dinner later, but before that, we will have to meet with my friends first, okay? I really miss them."

"You will accompany me to the dinner?" Kagami's voice was full of disbelieve. He hadn't expected Kiyoshi to do that. After all, they had just met and they weren't exactly friends—because Kagami didn't believe just few hours spent together actually counted—but then again, perhaps that was just how Kiyoshi was.

As if confirming Kagami's thoughts, Kiyoshi laughed freely while slapping Kagami's back none-too-gently. "Of course! It sounds fun, sneaking into dinner like that, but if it's just the two of us, I'm quite sure we'll be captured before we can enter the room. So, yeah, we need to bring someone cold-headed along with us!"

Kagami could only nod in agreement, somehow still in daze at how supportive Kiyoshi was. Kagami knew there was a possibility of Kiyoshi being punished for helping him, but the other man didn't seem to mind that chance at all. Perhaps, Kagami should be thankful for having Kiyoshi by his side.

After that, the rest of their walk towards the kitchen was filled with silence. Neither one of them spoke for a while, until they could hear the commotion from the kitchen few steps ahead of them. Kiyoshi's face turned bright immediately and he hastened his steps, as if impatient to see the people behind the closed door. Kagami could only follow silently.

However, when Kiyoshi pulled the kitchen's door open, Kagami certainly hadn't expected to hear the terrified scream that made his ears ring. It was such a horrible scream, Kagami immediately searched for his sword—only to realize he didn't have a weapon on him. Kagami's face was extremely pale and he reached out to hold Kiyoshi in place since the idiot didn't seem to be bothered by the scream at all.

"Don't move! What if they are attacked, Kiyoshi? We should see the situation first!" Kagami hissed furiously.

Kiyoshi blinked at the hand that held him in place before he laughed so loud until he had problem breathing. At that moment, Kagami was positive Kiyoshi was insane and had to reconsider his luck. Once he had calmed down enough, Kiyoshi finally wheezed out, "T-there's nothing wrong inside, Kagami. They are not attacked, trust me. It's a normal reaction you will get when Riko is attempting to cook again."

Eyebrows furrowed, Kagami still hadn't let go of Kiyoshi. After all, it was just impossible for someone to react that_ badly _only because of a cooking attempt … right? But then Kiyoshi just laughed again and shrugged Kagami's hand off before stepping into the kitchen and Kagami didn't have any other option but to follow suit.

The sight that greeted them was very much unexpected for Kagami. Judging from the scream he had heard, Kagami had thought he would see bloody, lifeless bodies dirtying the kitchen floor with the murderer standing proud in the middle of the chaos. Instead of that, what he saw was … a perfectly normal kitchen condition, except for a soldier who passed out on the long wooden table with foam on the corner of his mouth and a big cauldron, filled with bubbly, purple-colored soup that was placed right in the center of the table.

"How many times should I tell you to leave the cooking attempt to the other maids?! Look what you have done to Izuki, Riko!" A man shouted furiously, gesturing wildly with his hand at the passed out soldier.

"Hmm, that's strange. I've made sure to cook everything perfectly this time. I wonder what went wrong …," The girl who wore servant clothes said calmly, not batting an eye at the passed out soldier and simply removing the … poisonous concoction from the table. She didn't look guilty at all, despite what she had done. "Perhaps I should ask one of the maids to teach me again later."

"Please, Riko, you will kill us all if you keep trying to cook something," another soldier whimpered piteously, gazing at his fallen comrade with sympathetic eyes. "I won't be able to handle it."

"Oh, shut your mouth, Koganei-_kun_. I'm sure I will improve soon!"

"I am so glad I'm away when this happened."

Kiyoshi's voice made the whole occupants in the kitchen turn to face him. Almost immediately, the whole expression in the room turned bright and then he was greeted jovially. Kagami wisely stepped aside when Kiyoshi was hugged by the others, knowing that it was not his place to interfere with the reunion that was currently happening. Kiyoshi's grin was very bright as he returned each and every hug, but Kagami could see different fondness the other man showed when he hugged the maid called Riko and the grumpy soldier.

"Teppei, I don't expect to see you so soon!" Riko said with a bright smile as she was finally put down by Kiyoshi. Her eyes were slightly bright with unshed tears, but she looked positively happy.

"Yes, I didn't expect King Imayoshi would order us to pull back too. Oh, shouldn't you do something to help Izuki? I see your food is still as amazing as ever, Riko."

"Don't sugar-coat your words, Kiyoshi. Her food is atrocious, we all know that. Mitobe, please bring Izuki to see the healer."

The tallest soldier in the room nodded with a smile before he stood up and lifted the passed out Izuki easily. Mitobe glanced at Kagami when he passed the red head, but he didn't say anything, merely giving the other a smile before he walked out of the kitchen.

"Watch it, Hyuuga-_kun_. I can still make you suffer." Riko glared at the soldier, lifting the spatula on her hand highly in a warning.

Kiyoshi just laughed. "You shouldn't talk that harshly to Riko, Hyuuga. But still … it seems that you two are as close as ever. I'm glad nothing is broken while I'm away."

The teasing tone in Kiyoshi's voice made both Hyuuga and Riko blushed. They both glared at him before mumbling something about an idiot. Kagami couldn't help the smirk forming on his face. He could see how close the three of them were and it was relaxing to see such a warm scene like this after the battle. It reminded him of his own friends in Teikou. Unfortunately, the last thought only made his smirk fall slightly.

"Oh, right!" Kiyoshi then turned towards Kagami, as if he had just remembered he was still there. "Let me introduce you all! This is Kagami Taiga. He's the newest addition to Prince Aomine's army. He's currently under my care, so I hope you all will get along nicely!"

Kagami immediately felt awkward when all eyes turned to focus on him, but then he remembered his manner and attempted to do a small bow while saying, "My name's Kagami Taiga. It's nice to meet you all." He could just hope the custom in Touou wasn't that different with in Teikou.

Silence greeted Kagami's words and it made the red head fidget uncomfortably. Had he said the wrong thing? Could his words be taken as an insult, somehow? This was the main reason Kagami hated going to other kingdoms: too many different customs that he had to remember! Just when his thoughts were about to go crazy, the silence was suddenly broken by roaring laughter, leaving Kagami speechless as he saw the laughing people in front of him.

"Looks like Prince Aomine captured a polite one, this time! Oh, I'm sure he will be very interesting!" Riko giggled, wiping at the tears of mirth on the corner of her eyes.

"O-oy, there really is no need to laugh at me!" Kagami fumed once he realized the people were making fun of him. He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms on his chest, his whole demeanor screaming of defensive annoyance. It made Kiyoshi pat his back sympathetically, but Kagami shrugged the other man off.

"Ha, we are sorry, really. We just don't expect to hear such polite words from you," Hyuuga said sincerely once he managed to control his laughter. "Anyway, welcome, Kagami. I'm quite sure we can be friends real fast. Despite his appearance, Kiyoshi is good at judging people. If he likes you, then that can only mean you are a good man. I am Hyuuga Junpei. It's nice to meet you too."

Still grumbling, Kagami nevertheless shook Hyuuga's offered hand. He was still annoyed, but he could tell the people around him right now were not bad people and he really needed their help to sneak into the dinner later. It would be better if he didn't aggravate any of them. Once he released Hyuuga's hand, Kagami glanced at Kiyoshi through the corner of his eyes, trying to remind the other about their previous plan wordlessly. Kiyoshi nodded subtly, assuring Kagami that he hadn't forgotten about it.

"Well, now that everyone has been introduced, Kagami and I want to ask for your help, Hyuuga." Kiyoshi started without any preamble, but then again he was always so straight-forward even to the fault.

"Sure, as long as it's not for something insane, I will try my best to help you."

"Great! So, do you have any plan that could help us sneak into the dinner tonight? Kagami really wants to attend it, you see."

"Sneaking into the dinner?" Hyuuga's brows furrowed lightly as he turned his attention towards Kagami. "It's not that difficult, actually, but why would you want to attend it? I'm sure it will be boring."

"My general was caught as a spoil of war and he will be presented to the king in tonight's dinner. I just want to make sure nothing bad happens to him." Kagami answered truthfully. He always believed honesty was the best policy.

"Ah, so your general is the famous spoil of war," Hyuuga hummed before sharing a look with his fellow soldiers. Of course, they had heard about the spoil of war that Prince Aomine had taken and they would be lying if they said they weren't curios. This was the perfect opportunity for them to lay their gazes on the man. Apparently, they all agreed with Hyuuga's silent idea, since they all grinned mischievously in return. Hyuuga nodded, decisive.

"Alright, we will bring you to the dinner tonight, Kagami. For now, just rest and eat. Make sure you don't eat Riko's cooking, though!"

**xXXx**

The room Kise was brought into was quite big, but nothing luxurious. It was a room meant for a guest, with a joined bathroom inside. Kise was left alone for a moment before a young man with brown hair and wide, innocent brown eyes entered the room. Kise only glanced at the man once, but he could already conclude that he wasn't a knight. After all, no knight would walk around without weapon and no knight would be as timid as the man in front of him right now.

Kise's guess was proven true when the man introduced himself, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Kise-_san_, b-but Prince Aomine told me to look after you and I'm sorry because I can't disobey him. My name is Sakurai Ryou. I'm the kingdom's healer and I'm here to make sure your wounds are alright. I'm also told to make sure you will be cleaned up for the presentation!"

After that somewhat awkward introduction, Sakurai politely asked Kise to enter the bathroom and clean himself, which Kise did without any protest. He did feel filthy. Being covered in blood and grime for days had made him feel very uncomfortable, and so the chance for cleaning up was something he wouldn't miss, no matter the reason behind it. Once he finished cleaning himself, Sakurai had been waiting outside the bathroom with a towel. The other man was gentle as he patted Kise dry with the soft towel and he gave the blond clothes meant for servants afterwards.

For the whole time, Kise didn't bother to say anything. He was still in a numb state of mind and he just let Sakurai check his wounds without words. Apparently, Kise's silence was making the young healer anxious, because he kept apologizing over and over again, until finally Kise couldn't take it and asked him to stop it—which only prompted for another apology, more frantic this time. In the end, Kise chose to shut up once more.

The silence that surrounded them after that was very much awkward, but at least Sakurai had stopped apologizing. Kise found out that the other man was actually an excellent healer once he was focused on his task, because after his wounds were re-dressed, Kise could barely feel the pain anymore. He seemed like a good guy too and Kise thought they could actually be friends if only their situation was different. As it was though, Kise still had no intention of being kind to anyone from Touou, and so he kept his silence even when Sakurai had finished with his work and he was told to dress up.

"I-I'm sorry for this, but I have to tie your hands again, Kise-_san_. It's to make sure you won't do anything dangerous." Sakurai stuttered again once Kise had finished wearing his clothes. He looked terribly regretful as he took the rope that would steal Kise's freedom once again.

Kise didn't care much. He had known this would happen, so he just shrugged lightly and let Sakurai tie his wrists together behind him. Inwardly, Kise took note of how tight the bond was. He hadn't expected it from someone as timid as Sakurai. Apparently, the young healer of Touou kingdom was not as naïve as he looked.

Sakurai worried his bottom lip. Prince Aomine had told him to be wary of the captured general, because he knew Sakurai wouldn't be able to win if Kise decided to attack him and Sakurai had taken the warning to heart. As he looked at Kise now though, he couldn't help but to feel slightly sorry for the other man. Kise was not like what Aomine had described him at all. He didn't seem dangerous and he cooperated really well. The silence Kise gave only made Sakurai even more worry about the other. Sakurai could only imagine how hard it was to be a spoil of war and Kise also had bad injuries on top of that.

Sakurai's brain was working fast, trying to find something to say to cheer the other up as he timidly led Kise out of the room. Finally, just as they were about to reach the door, Sakurai's brain came up with, "Ah, I-I heard that your friend h-has become one of Prince Aomine's soldier now. Y-you shouldn't worry, Kise-_san_. Your friend will be alright. He won't be presented to the King."

Kise actually stopped on his track when he heard Sakurai's words, his eyes wide as he stared at the other, trying to find a hint of lie, but finding none. Immediately, relief flooded in Kise's system, although he tried not to show it outwardly.

He had been very worried about Kagami and the probability of King Imayoshi actually recognizing the red head as one of the Teikou's princes when he was presented, but now that he knew Kagami wouldn't be presented, he could breathe a little bit more easily. It meant Kagami was safe and that he wouldn't be affected by anything that Kise might do in the presentation.

It also meant Kise could actually do something now. This particular thought made him start to look around the room, trying to find something useful when his gaze fell on the porcelain vase placed on top of a small wooden table near the door. An idea came to Kise's mind immediately and it didn't take much of faking for him to stumble on his steps, until he hit the table harsh enough to make the vase fall and crash on the floor. Kise fell on top of the porcelain shards, but he managed to avoid more injuries and before anyone could come near him, he had picked one of the big shards and hid it in his fist.

Sakurai's shout and the sound of the crash were enough to alert the guards outside the room. Kise actually smiled quite apologetically at the healer who was busy making sure he was alright, before he stood up once again and continued walking to wherever the dinner was being held. He didn't mind the additional guards following them now, as he was quite busy scratching at the rope binding his wrists together with the shard he had picked.

It took time, but thankfully their walk was a long one. By the time they arrived at the main hall in which the dinner was being held, the bond on Kise's wrists was just there because he was grabbing the rope. It wouldn't do to make the guards notice he was actually free now. Kise didn't struggle when two guards pushed him forward, while Sakurai took his place among the crowd and was replaced by Hanamiya who stepped forward.

Kise took a chance to lift his head, eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of the king, sitting on the make-shift throne with Aomine sitting on his right side. His eyes were met with Aomine's almost immediately, those navy colored orbs burning to the deepest of Kise's soul, but Kise didn't look away. Hanamiya's voice as he announced Kise's name and status as the spoil of war seemed to come from far away and Kise didn't particularly care about it. He was waiting patiently, until finally one of the guards was stepping forward just a little bit too close to him.

As fast as he could, Kise stood up and let go of the rope on his wrists. With his hands free, it was easy to steal the guard's sword using the slightest bit of push and a lot of surprise factor. A loud commotion happened almost immediately, but before anyone else could move, Kise was already charging towards the king, the stolen sword steady in his hands. Kise could see the king's surprised expression right in front of him and when he was close enough, he whispered,

"Long live the king."

* * *

**To be Continued …**

* * *

**A/N: **_Have I said my sense of humor is terribly bad? Yeah, I'm sorry for that. Thank you for reading!  
_


	9. Panic

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 09 - Panic**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N:** _Hello, everyone! Here is yet another update, few days later than what I had planned, but I'm just glad I can update within this week. Thank you for all of your reviews! Most of them amused me so, to be honest. Anyway, here are the replies to anon/non-member reviews I had gotten:_

_**Vee: **__Thank you for your review! You can find out what happens to Kise in this chapter and I hope you will enjoy it. I'm glad you like the appearance of Kiyoshi and the Seirin members!_

_**Mrs. Malaslogin: **__Oh, hey there! I recognized your name from my other fics! Thank you for your review and I really am glad you like my Kise and the plot. I hope I won't disappoint your expectation for this story!_

_**Cupsuke: **__Thank you for your review! Yes, it's almost impossible for Kise to escape from punishment for what he had done. Let's just hope his punishment won't be too severe. I hope you will enjoy this chapter too!_

_**Guest and guest: **__Thank you for your review. I really appreciate it._

_As always, special thanks go to my beta, __**Manzzeii**__, for looking after this story. Any mistakes you still may find solely belong to me. For the beginning of this story, just imagine Aomine in his zone mode, because yes, he is _that_ angry._

* * *

Panic spread in the room like a wildfire. Shouts and screams from either the terrified crowd or the surprised guards could be heard clearly. The condition in the room could even be called as chaos, for lots of the guests were trying to get out of the room as soon as they could, not giving a single glance at the others whom they shoved or pushed out of the way. Despite all of the commotion, Kise could barely hear anything. His attention was still fully focused on his target and soon blood was spilled on the ground, followed by a pained gasp from the king. Kise's eyes narrowed. The king was fast enough to avoid the lethal blow and now, instead of piercing right through his heart, Kise's sword was embedded in the king's shoulder.

"Tsk," The general pulled out his sword and aimed once more, but before he could deliver the finishing blow towards Imayoshi, his sword was suddenly met with a broadsword. Kise's eyes burned as he lifted his head, gazing straight into Aomine's furious navy blue irises.

Kise snarled, "Out of my way, Aomine!"

"Fool! Do you think you could really kill the king in front of everyone without losing your life? It seems that common sense isn't taught in Teikou!" Aomine gritted his teeth as he applied more pressure on his blade, attempting to push Kise back. The wound on his left hand throbbed, but Aomine ignored it. Once he had managed to push the other man back, Aomine turned his head towards the crowd and yelled, "Ryou! Tetsu! Get the king to safety!"

"Understood, Aomine-_kun_." Kuroko replied as he appeared beside Aomine, apparently out of nowhere, while Sakurai ran towards them soon after, his face white as the sheet and he was trembling slightly.

Kise knew then that his only chance was gone. Since the beginning, he knew he would only have one chance to kill the king—it was a risky gamble, after all—and now he had failed because Aomine had interfered. He gripped his sword tightly as he watched the guards who came to surround him, weapons drawn and steady in their hands. Kise closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Most likely, he would be dead soon, but if that happened, then he would make sure he had no regret before that.

One of the guards saw his chance and charged towards Kise, but the blond was far from putting his guards down. His body moved almost in reflex, as a response to the guard's killing intent, and he parried the guard's sword easily, before he slashed at the guard's femur arteries. Immediately, the guard fell on his knees and Kise knew he would die in the pool of his own blood soon. The death of one of their allies only fuelled on the other guards' fury and soon they all were rushing towards Kise in a coordinated attack.

Kise would have been capable of handling all of them in normal days, but he was still injured and he started to feel the effect of his wounds as he parried each and every attack. He was starting to get exhausted and it made his focus waver. He didn't even realize one of the guards was coming from behind him. When Kise turned his back, it was almost too late. He gritted his teeth, readying himself for the pain, only to widen his eyes in surprise when a flash of crimson appeared in front of him. Before he knew it, Kagami was already blocking the guard's attack.

"Kagami_cchi_! What are you doing here?!" Kise's heart started to thump with fear once again. Shouldn't Kagami be safe somewhere else? He shouldn't have helped Kise, because then there was no way Kagami would be spared of punishment and that certainly wasn't what Kise wanted at all.

"Helping you, of course! Did you think I would let my general fight alone?" Kagami flashed Kise a roguish grin as he delivered the fatal blow to the guard in front of him. "Come on, Kise. You know we are stronger when we work together."

For a single heartbeat, all that Kise could do was to stare at Kagami, but then his lips curled into a grin. Kagami was right. They were stronger when they worked together. Kise nodded before turning around, bumping his back against Kagami's as they both readied their swords. "I apologize if I get you killed, Kagami_cchi_."

"Hah! Death doesn't seem too bad right now, don't you think?"

Kise chuckled and it was marvelous to feel happy even in the face of death. He couldn't believe the relief filling his heart when he saw Kagami and he could only hope they would be able to walk out from this situation alive. However, the mirth and happiness Kise felt were gone in an instant, when he saw Aomine coming through the sea of guards towards him. The Touou's Prince was beyond furious, of that Kise was certain. Aomine's eyes were dark and they were glued to Kise like a panther watching its prey. Through the corner of his eyes, Kise could see Hanamiya in front of Kagami, smiling sweetly with eyes that were as cold as a murderer's, and he knew the chance of them getting out of this alive was getting thin.

"Best of luck for you, Kagami_cchi_." Kise whispered for Kagami's ears only as he gripped his sword tighter.

"Best of luck for you, Kise." Kagami whispered back, his voice solemn, before he charged at Hanamiya.

Kise didn't turn around even the slightest bit. Hanamiya was Kagami's opponent and he had someone more dangerous to focus on. The blond quirked his lips into a mocking smirk as he addressed Aomine, "So, our second round has started. It's far earlier than you would've thought, isn't it?"

"The people from your kingdom have a strange fixation with death, I've noticed," Aomine replied as he swung his broadsword with one hand and lowered his center of gravity. "It's good that the people from my kingdom are more than capable of granting your wish."

"This is the last time you will mock my people, Aomine." Kise vowed before he went for an attack. The blond had expected for Aomine to block his attack, but he surely hadn't expected the power behind Aomine's push. It made Kise grit his teeth. Aomine was a lot stronger than when they were in the battlefield.

"Stop being delusional, Kise." Aomine charged forward, raining Kise down with dangerous slashes, each one stronger than the one before until Kise was forced to defend himself and step back, unable to hold his ground. The slashes were impossible to be dodged completely and Aomine took satisfaction on each new cut appearing on Kise's face and body.

Aomine lifted his broadsword high, ready to deliver a powerful blow that would surely bring Kise onto his knees, but Kise saw this and bent down before making an upward slash that managed to make a long cut just inches below Aomine's collarbone. Aomine didn't even seem bothered by it. His sword continued its downward move, straight to Kise. Their swords clashed together, Kise managing to stop the broadsword just seconds before it split his body in half. Not a second after that, Aomine rushed forward, grabbing at Kise's head with his left hand and slamming the other harshly onto the ground—a move Kise hadn't expected.

"Gah!" Kise gasped when his head crashed against the cold stone floor and then he screamed in pain as Aomine stabbed his injured shoulder with his broadsword, the blade went through muscles cleanly and without resistance. The pain was excruciating. Kise couldn't stop screaming and black spots started to appear on his vision field as his brain tried to shut down the pain.

Above him, Aomine watched his pained expression coldly. He then lowered himself onto one knee as he brought his face close to Kise's so the other would hear him clearly when he said, "You want to ask Death's help to escape from me. I will tell you this now, Death will not help you. You are mine, Kise, and I won't let anyone else take you—not even death."

Aomine's words were the last thing Kise heard before his brain gave up from the pain and he fell into the cold darkness.

**xXXx**

Precognition was an ability Akashi was blessed with for as long as he could remember. It was said that he received the ability from his late-mother, who was an acknowledged seer in the kingdom. Akashi didn't care much about the origin of his ability. All that he cared about was to control that ability and use it for his own advantages. Thankfully, it wasn't hard for him to do so. Akashi had known that he wouldn't be able to predict exactly when his ability gave him a glimpse of the future or what he would see, but he had always been prepared, never letting anything he saw affected him and that was what made him extraordinary. He was capable of separating the future with the present day and he certainly knew that the future could easily be altered with small changes.

Thus, Akashi had always managed to turn his precognition into his own lethal weapon. If he saw a future he didn't particularly agree with, he would turn it into his favor. Never once he had let his sight affect him, unlike the other seers who had been said to go insane from the future they had seen, but unable to change.

However, some particular situations required special treatment and war certainly fell into the particular side, so Akashi thought he couldn't be blamed when he smashed the candelabra on his working table into the fireplace after one glimpse of the future he had gotten, making the fire roared stronger than before.

Midorima had come running not a second after the crash could be heard, his expression screaming worry and when he saw Akashi's murderous expression as the king stood in front of the fireplace, all blood left Midorima's face. Never had he seen Akashi furious like this.

"My Lord, are you alright?" The king's regent asked cautiously, standing few feet away from his sovereign.

Akashi lifted his head to fix his blazing heterochromia eyes on Midorima. Immediately, he could see the fear screamed in Midorima's body language. He closed his eyes for a moment, because it was unfair to release his fury on Midorima. Akashi only opened his eyes once he was sure he could control himself, before saying, "Shintarou, I want you to call Kazunari and Kotarou to the throne room immediately. I trust Shougo and Tatsuya would have returned by now, so call them in too. After that, ask the servants to prepare the necessity for a journey. We will go to Yosen by tomorrow."

"Yosen, My Lord?" Midorima's brows furrowed. He had no intention of questioning his king's order, but Yosen was a three days journey and in their current situation, taking long journey like that was very dangerous. It was slightly unexpected for Akashi to order such a reckless thing like that. Something must have happened.

Akashi could clearly see the question in Midorima's expression. He decided to elaborate, "As we speak, Ryouta is currently staying in the Touou's dungeon prison, waiting for his fate after his failed attempt at killing King Imayoshi in his presentation. I can't just stand still after that. If it really is war that Touou kingdom wants, then it is war we shall give to them. For that, we have to make sure we will be able to win this war."

"You want to form an alliance with Yosen." Midorima finally caught onto Akashi's plan. Yosen and Teikou had been in a good relationship ever since the reign of the previous king, an alliance with the kingdom known as the North Defender was almost assured. Besides, having Yosen's power behind them would surely be advantageous. After all, Yosen was known for its defensive power. Never once the kingdom had fallen from an attack.

Akashi's lips curved into a content smile. "Not only with Yosen, my dear regent. I'm planning to form alliances with all the three other kingdoms too, although I have a hunch Kaijou will refuse our offer. It doesn't matter though. With Yosen and Shuutoku on our side, victory will surely be ours. When it's time for the real war, we will destroy Touou until it's gone from the map."

Midorima could feel cold shiver ran through his body when he heard Akashi's words, but he merely bowed down to his king before excusing himself from the room. Erasing a kingdom from a map was certainly not an easy thing to do, but if it was Akashi, Midorima knew it wouldn't be impossible. Midorima couldn't even guess what kind of sight Akashi had seen and he didn't know what the Touou's kingdom had done to earn the wrath of the deadliest sovereign in the land, but he could only hope they were ready to accept the consequences.

**xXXx**

"Execution is the only punishment fitting for someone who had hurt the king."

It was Hanamiya who had spoken, directed to everyone in the room in regards to both Kise and Kagami. The dark haired soldier's attention was focused on the king who was sitting on his bed, his wound being tended by Sakurai.

Aomine stood on one corner of the room, leaning against the wall beside the big window overlooking the town square, with his arms crossed on his chest. Near him, Momoi and Kuroko stood, attentive to the conversation currently being held in the room.

"Yes, that is correct according to the law, but still … that Kise Ryouta is amazing. Who would have expected for a fallen general to do something as reckless as that?" Imayoshi chuckled, only to stop soon after when his wound throbbed painfully. He didn't seem particularly disturbed, though, despite the fact he was almost killed just moments ago. The king then continued on when no one answered his rhetorical question, his tone playful and just a little bit teasing, "What do you think, Aomine? Should we execute your precious spoil of war and your newly acquired soldier right now?"

The tension in the room increased as all occupants turned their attention at Aomine who was still seeing out of the window. He didn't bother to answer immediately, opting instead to keep his silence while he tried to keep his expression neutral. Aomine knew the answer to that question already, just like almost everyone in the room did, but he also knew he couldn't just give his answer. After all, if he wanted to answer then he would need to find another punishment equal to an execution and it was not exactly easy.

"Aomine-_kun_?" Kuroko prompted after the silence had went longer than anyone was comfortable with.

Aomine took a deep breath, making his decision, before finally turning around and answered, "No, we shouldn't execute them."

No one was surprised to hear Aomine's answer. They might, before all this happened, but judging from how Aomine behaved around Kise, they all immediately knew he would protect Kise from the punishment. However, it was Hanamiya who dared to speak up after that, his voice lilting as if he was holding in his laughter, "Oh, but Prince Aomine, the law itself said no other punishment will be appropriate for treachery, and I'd like to think trying to kill the king is an obvious act of treason."

"_Maa_, just wait a second, Hanamiya. We can always change the law just slightly in special condition," Imayoshi grinned slyly, looking up at Aomine, "So, what kind of punishment you think we should give to the both of them? I'm sure you realize we still have to punish them."

"For Kise, yes, since it's his sword that had hurt you, the evidence clear and solid, but Kagami was only acting accordingly and he's my soldier now. I shall give him a punishment I see fit for his crime. My army _is _immune from the law."

"Fair enough," Imayoshi didn't particularly care about the red head. Aomine was right, his army was immune from the law and Imayoshi was quite sure his dear brother wouldn't forgive disobedience easily.

"As for Kise's punishment, executing him will only mean granting his wish," Aomine said with a slight curve of his lips. "We can't have that. What we need is a punishment that will attack his pride, teaching him a lesson he will never forget. I say a public humiliation will be a better option for someone like him."

"And how do you suggest we do it, My Liege?" Hanamiya sounded more interested now.

The smirk on Aomine's face curved wider as he tilted his head towards the town square that could be seen clearly from the large window in the room. "Take out the Judas chair and leave him outside. Let the weather and people punish him, since he won't be able to escape then."

Imayoshi chuckled, pleased with Aomine's idea, but not satisfied just yet, "Make sure he gets little bit of whipping in addition of that and I will agree to spare him from execution."

Aomine turned to give Imayoshi a hard stare, but the king simply smirked in return. The other occupants in the room looked at the two brothers without words. The tension in the room was palpable as both royals were engaged in yet another battle. It was silent this time and hopefully wouldn't escalate into more dangerous level. The outcome of this battle of wills usually was unpredictable, but this time, it was almost obvious. After all, Imayoshi was still a king and Kise did attack him—which immediately made him a number one criminal in the kingdom. Not even Aomine was stubborn enough to keep pressing on losing matter; both he and Imayoshi knew that.

"Fine." Aomine finally consented, although everybody could tell the words were pulled out of gritted teeth.

Imayoshi smiled victoriously, "Oh, and Hanamiya will be the one supervising the punishment."

Aomine's fingers twitched, itching to grab his broadsword which was left outside for safety measure. He glared at Imayoshi before snapping, "_Fine_, but only for one day. After that, Kise will be returned to me."

"We have an agreement, dear brother." Nodding slightly, Imayoshi was quite pleased with the outcome. He knew it was impossible for him to push his luck. Aomine would never forgive him if he pushed any further and Imayoshi really didn't need a coup d'etat from his own brother on top of the war currently brewing.

Without words, Aomine then turned around and walked out of the room, not bothering to excuse himself. Momoi startled when he walked passed her without words, prompting her to hastily bow down to Imayoshi before running after Aomine. She knew it wouldn't be a good thing to leave Aomine alone right now and they really needed to have a talk. Kuroko watched his childhood friends until their figures were gone behind the closed door before turning to face his king.

"It is not a good thing to provoke Prince Aomine like that, My Lord."

"It is not my fault my dear brother is so short tempered, Kuroko-_kun_," Imayoshi chuckled, "I still know my boundaries though, you don't need to worry. Rather than staying here, shouldn't you follow Satsuki-_chan _and Aomine?"

Kuroko bowed. He couldn't deny Imayoshi's words. As he pushed the door open, though, Imayoshi's soft muttered voice stopped him on his track. Kuroko knew the king didn't really direct those words at him, but it still managed to capture his attention nevertheless.

What Imayoshi had said was, "Aomine's idea is really good, though. It's cruel, but appropriate. Apparently, even if he refused to bear the name, the blood of Imayoshi is still running in his veins. Who knows, perhaps one day he will cease to be an Aomine."

"Rest assured, My Lord, I will never let that day come." Kuroko's voice was hard. There was no doubt or hesitation in his tone, only certainty, and if one could see his face right now, they might even flinch, because there was something dark that could be seen clearly in his eyes.

Stepping out of the room, Kuroko closed the wooden door behind him and leaned his body on it for a moment. For once, his face showed hints of anger, no longer kept in its usual expressionless state. Kuroko shut his eyes, trying to control his rage by surrounding himself with darkness. Imayoshi's last statement worried him. Although Imayoshi and Aomine were brothers by blood, they didn't share the same family name. Aomine had decided to take his late-mother's family name instead, while Imayoshi kept the late-king's line. This happened just three months before Imayoshi's coronation.

The reason why Aomine decided to do that was because he wanted to distance himself from the Imayoshi line, since he hated the sly tricks his father and brother usually used. In Touou, it was not unusual for brothers to fight against each other for the throne. In fact, the rightful heir usually was chosen by their skill in battle and that meant Aomine was the real heir of the Touou's throne. Imayoshi didn't accept it, despite the support and smiling face he always showed, since he had always wanted the throne for himself and he felt he deserved it as the first prince.

Aomine himself didn't have any interest in being a king, because he didn't like handling political matters much and he'd prefer to lead an army into wars. However, their late-mother insisted for Aomine to accept the throne—probably because she knew he would be a better king than Imayoshi. The queen's support was putting Imayoshi in a disadvantage, because she was still loved by the people, and she was the only thing preventing Imayoshi from getting the throne. So one day he planned for a cruel act: hiring an assassin to kill the late-queen.

Of course, not many people knew Imayoshi was the mastermind behind the queen's murder. After all, it was him who finally killed the assassin with his own sword, thus making the people believe he was just as shaken as everybody when they discovered the queen's lifeless body. Aomine knew better, though. He, better than anyone else, knew of his brother's ambition and hunger for power. No one else would be capable of doing such cruelty like that except for Imayoshi. It was the day Aomine discarded his Imayoshi name, not wanting to be associated with Shoichi—his own brother—denying the blood connecting them together.

Kuroko was glad when Aomine did that, because the Imayoshi family was always filled with ambitious, power-hungry men and he had always thought his friend was different from any of them. It was true, until the war changed Aomine and now Kuroko started to worry that despite everything, Aomine was still an Imayoshi at heart. There was still hope for Aomine, though. Kuroko could see the ice that had made his friend's heart freeze was slowly being thawed by the presence of Kise Ryouta. Sure, Aomine had been nothing but cruel to Kise until now, but it was obvious—for someone who knew Aomine better—that he cared about the other general. Kuroko knew Kise would be the only person who could stop Aomine from becoming a true monster and he was not above manipulating both of them to get what he wanted.

When Kuroko opened his eyes again, he already gained his usual calm. His face was set back to expressionless. He would make sure Aomine changed for the better this time and to do that, the first thing he had to do was to have a long, _hard_ talkwith his stubborn general. Kuroko wished Momoi would have torn Aomine apart by now, because God help him, if she hadn't, then Kuroko would do it himself.

**xXXx**

The painful throbbing in his head pulled Kise into consciousness. He hissed softly, sight blurring from the pain and it took him few times to adjust his sight with the low light around him. Once he gathered enough coherencies and memories of what had happened, Kise turned his head around and realized he was in a prison. He slowly sat up on the wooden bench that had been kindly placed there as a makeshift bed. The pain in his head hadn't subsided. He must have a concussion. Great, just what he needed right now.

Sighing, he leaned back against the cold stone wall of the prison, gaining a faint clanging sound from the movement. Looking down, he saw chain wrapped around his wrists. Kise smirked wryly, so they had exchanged the rope for something more effective. It didn't matter now, though, because there was no way Kise would escape from the prison right now, not after the crime he had done. He wouldn't be surprised if his execution was being prepared at the moment.

Kise waited until the pain on his head became bearable enough before cracking his eyes open once again. For once, he was grateful for the low light in the prison, because he knew light wouldn't do any good to his headache right now. With nothing to do, Kise then gazed around his prison, assessing the small room. It was small, but with enough room for him to stand and walk around a bit. There was no window and from the cold air, Kise guessed he was underground. The wound on his shoulder stung like Hell, but it was already covered with bandage. Kise almost rolled his eyes. He couldn't see the necessity of dressing the injuries of someone who would die soon.

The stone wall made any little sound resound all around the prison, making it even more eerie as the sound of the wind came as a haunting howl, but Kise was not disturbed by it. He was used with being in prison. He had spent the first twenty years of his life in the Teikou's prison and it wasn't that different with the current prison he was placed in. In fact, Kise was so used with his surroundings that he could immediately pick up the peculiar sound coming towards him. It was not the howling of a wind, but the rhythmical sound of someone's footsteps. His punishment must have been decided already.

Topaz orbs were alert as they glanced at the dark tunnel in front of his cell. Kise's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit when he saw Aomine walking towards him. He sighed, "I should have known."

"Disappointed to see me again?" Aomine's lips quirked into a faint smirk. He must praise Kise's resilience. Even after all that had happened and the possibility of being executed, the blond general didn't look disturbed at all. Kise's spirit was something that was almost impossible to break. It only made Aomine want to make him submit to him all the more.

"Yes, well, I must admit I like the company of Kuroko or even the healer—Sakurai Ryou, was it?—better, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. Considering this will be the last time I see your face, I think I will try to endure your most pleasant company."

"You seem so sure this will be our last meeting. Giving up on your life already, General Kise Ryouta?"

Kise narrowed his eyes, "I will never give up, but the only punishment a regicide deserves is execution. I know as much, Aomine."

"Indeed, but you are not just any regicide, are you? No, you are my prize, Kise, my spoil of war. Besides, trust me, my brother is used to assassination attempts on his life. Your attack didn't even shock him all that much, although you are the first person skillful enough to actually hurt him. As it was, it's decided you won't be executed."

There was a stunned silence following after Aomine's words, broken only by the howling of the winds. Kise was too stunned to form any words. He couldn't even comprehend what Aomine had said. He heard each word, of course, but his logic couldn't understand the meaning behind it. It was only too absurd for him to think he would actually be pardoned from an execution after what he had done.

Seemingly reading Kise's thought correctly, the smirk on Aomine's face widened as he continued, "Executing you right now will only grant your wish, won't it? No, execution is far too kind for you, Kise. The true punishment for you will be humiliation, as I've learned just days ago. So instead of an execution, you will be punished by public humiliation. I assure you, it will be far _worse _than death._"_

Understanding dawned to Kise. His lips quivered before a boisterous laughter escaped from him, filling the prison with rare laughter that it actually made the other prisoners flinch in fear. He just couldn't help but to feel amused with Aomine. When his laughter finally died down, Kise gave the other general a mocking smile as he drawled, "You are determined to have me, Aomine. I'm flattered."

Aomine's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. It was basically true. Aomine did want to have Kise and he never was good at sharing his possession to anyone—that include Death.

Aomine's silence only made Kise even more amuse. He chuckled lightly before tilting his head in challenging manner, "Fine, let's play this game as per your rules. I should give you a warning, though: you will never be able to break me with violence."

Navy blue orbs glinted with what could be assumed as amusement or mirth as Aomine dipped his head lightly, accepting Kise's words, "If that is the case, then I will just find another way to break you, Kise."

Both of them smirked, equally amused, for the first time. This was something different—an agreement, a game that both had finally consented to play along. Things would only be more interesting after this—Kise only needed to make sure he would get through the punishment Aomine had so generously planned for him.

* * *

**To be Continued …**

* * *

_**A/N: **__Thank you for reading this chapter. I really hope you all enjoy it. After this, Kise won't be so docile anymore, so I'm betting his relationship with Aomine will get even more interesting. After all, it's very hard to resist a seductive!KIse, right? Aomine is in for a big surprise~ See you all again next week and do tell me your thoughts!_


	10. Worry

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 10 – Worry**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N: **_Hello there, everyone. Here's another update. I'm sorry for the tardiness. As always, here are the replies to anon/non-member reviews I had gotten:_

_Guest: God, let me give you the hug instead, because your words are so kind and they flatter me so much. I'm not that great, there are still flaws in my story, but I really am glad to know you enjoy it. Here's an update and I hope you enjoy it._

_Mrs. MalasLogin: Thank you for your review! Kise really can be very sexy at times, right? *grins*_

_Uchizaki: Kise will certainly play along, but I'm not sure he will accept Aomine's advances ... at least not willingly just yet. Thank you for your review!_

_Anon, guest and Vee : thank you for your review. Here's the update. I hope you enjoy this chapter too._

_Special thanks go to my beta, __**Manzzeii**__, as always. You are one amazing and kind beta. I'm so lucky to have you. For all my readers, be it new or old, I thank you all too. Writing this story isn't exactly easy for me, but your supports make me want to keep writing. I hope I manage to present the best chapters for your enjoyment._

* * *

Worry stole sleep away from Midorima. The King's Regent was already wide awake, even when the sky outside was still dark. The sun wouldn't be up for another three hours, at the very best. Midorima didn't do anything, simply lying on his bed with eyes wide opened, gazing at the high ceiling of his room and occasionally turning to watch Takao's peaceful sleeping face beside him. He let the cold wind caressed his naked skin from where the blanket had been pulled down. Midorima never minded cold much and Takao needed the blanket more than him anyway.

The green haired man sighed ever so slightly. He tried to close his eyes, because he knew with the journey ahead, he would need to get as much rest as he could. Still, his mind was a chaos filled with worrying thoughts. It was a miracle he could even get the two hours of sleep he had. Although, it was also thanks to Takao who had seen how worried he was and proceeded to chase all thoughts away from Midorima's mind using pleasure.

"Shin-_chan_, it's still too early to wake up," Takao's sleepy mumbles jolted Midorima slightly. The Shuutoku knight squirmed under the blanket, rubbing at his sleepy eyes before gazing up at Midorima with a fond exasperated smile. "I'd want to distract you again, but I don't think I have the energy right now."

"I'm alright. You just get back to sleep. We know how annoying you are when you're lacking sleep." Midorima scowled, although he didn't pull away when Takao snuggled up closer to him. In the darkness, Midorima always let his guard down. He even allowed his hand to gently caress Takao's dark hair in an almost fond gesture, feeling each strand slipping from between his fingers. Midorima wouldn't admit it out loud, but sometimes, he was truly grateful for Takao's constant warmth beside him.

"But Shin-_chan _gets even crankier when he doesn't get enough sleep. You will need an annoying me to handle that."

"Shut up, Takao."

Takao snickered, but he did shut his mouth for a second, opting to rest his head against Midorima's chest instead. He was still sleepy. The silence that surrounded them after was slowly lulling him back to sleep, but from the tension in Midorima's body, Takao knew the other man wouldn't go back to sleep anytime soon. He sighed, resigning the sleep he longed for, because there was no way he would be able to leave Midorima alone.

"King Ootsubo will be pleased to see you, Shin-_chan_."

Midorima scoffed awkwardly. He doubted Takao's words. While it was true that Teikou's—and Midorima's, personally—relationship with Shuutoku was great, helped with the intimacy Midorima shared with Takao, but even then he knew Ootsubo often felt exasperated with him. Midorima was not ignorant. He knew most people wouldn't agree with his way of thinking, but he didn't care much about it. He appreciated the way Takao was trying to strike a conversation, though, since it made him think of something else besides the worry gnawing inside of him.

"I'm just grateful I won't meet with Sir Miyaji."

"Ah, but Miyaji-_senpai _has surely missed you! He often said it wasn't fun without anyone whom he could throw pineapples at!" Takao's laughter was louder this time. Miyaji was another knight from Shuutoku. He was also Takao's mentor, but he didn't like to be called as a teacher and had told Takao to call him _sen__pai_ instead. Miyaji was probably the knight with the foulest temper in Shuutoku and he had this love-hate relationship with Midorima. Whenever Midorima met Miyaji, they would certainly argue. So it really was a blessing for everyone that Miyaji was currently being assigned in Touou and that Hayama Kotarou was the one who would meet with him instead.

"I still don't understand where he gets all of those fruits from." Midorima's lips curled into a smile, hidden by the darkness around them. Miyaji had the strange habit of throwing hard or spiky fruits at him whenever he was really annoyed.

"I think it's Sir Kimura who supplies him." Takao answered in cheeky tone. He marveled at the low chuckle Midorima let loose in response to that. It was not easy for anyone to make Midorima laugh and Takao would always be proud with any sound of mirth he could pull out of the too-serious regent.

That moment of mirth lessened the tension between them even when silence once again greeted both men. They were not sleeping, because by now it would be impossible for any of them to go back into their dreamland. They were simply enjoying each other's company and the calm before the storm. They both realized the situation they were still in and once the sun greeted Earth, both would have to return to the cruel reality, away from the comforting warmth of a lover's embrace.

"Why does King Akashi care so much about Kise?" Takao had never truly understood that. While he could admit Kise was a very great general—he could even be called the best at times—but he was just that, a general, someone who could always be sacrificed when the situation turned dire. Certainly, Kise's position was not important enough for the king to directly plan a counterattack on his stead. Never had Takao met any kings who would go that far for their general and he knew Akashi wouldn't do it just for anyone either.

Midorima could understand Takao's confusion. He would certainly think like Takao too, if he hadn't known the whole story. Akashi had always implied that Kise's secret should never leak to anyone outside the small circle who needed to know about it and Midorima respected that order. However, Takao was someone he could trust. Takao would never betray Midorima and he might actually be a strong ally in this war. Surely Midorima could give him an answer to that curious question.

Shifting his body to gaze directly down at Takao, Midorima observed the faint line of his lover's face that he could see even with the darkness engulfing the room. Takao's eyes were trusting as they gazed back at Midorima, so full of adoration and fondness that for a second Midorima's breath hitched. He didn't know what he had done to deserve Takao's devotion to him, but he would always be grateful for that. There was no word exchanged between them, but then Takao's eyes crinkled as a warm smile curved his lips. Apparently, even without words, Takao could read Midorima's thought easily. Just like how he could read Midorima's true feelings beneath his cruel words.

It was at that moment Midorima chose to trust Takao. He wasn't Akashi, he couldn't say for sure his decision would be the right one, but this time Midorima wanted to trust his heart instead of his logic. Being around Takao too much obviously had softened him. Midorima could already imagine Akashi's mocking smirk if he ever knew this. Taking a deep breath, Midorima once again gazed at Takao, but this time his expression was serious. Takao seemed to sense the change in the mood, because his smile faltered, his expression kept neutral.

Midorima opened his mouth, "Takao, what do you think will happen when a king rapes someone?"

**xXXx**

The sunlight fell right on Kagami's cheek, disturbing him from his restless sleep in the Touou's prison. He opened his eyes with a groan; cursing both the sun and the cold wooden bench he was lying on, for it had given him nothing but tense muscles. Kagami sat up, stretching his body to the best he could with both hands tied securely. His muscles protested the movement, but Kagami ignored it, knowing fully it'd be better to endure pain now rather than letting his body be sore all day long.

It was a brand new day. Kagami couldn't help but to snort mockingly at his own thought. A new day indeed. Too bad it was not a great new day.

Heaving a sigh, he then decided to walk around his small prison, to let his blood circulated normally after sitting and lying still for far too long. He stopped just under a hollow on the stone wall which also worked as the only window in the prison. He looked up, hoping he would be able to see something that could give him a clue as to what would happen with him and Kise now.

All that he could see was the bright blue sky. Sardonically, Kagami thought it wouldn't be too bad to die in this kind of weather. He had always wanted to die in such a nice day like this.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?"

Kagami wasn't even surprised when he heard Kuroko's voice now. He had already gathered that whenever he was caught in trouble, most likely it would be the teal haired man who came to him first. It was frustrating, but still better than facing Aomine, he guessed. Kagami tilted his head slightly, acknowledging Kuroko's presence, but he didn't turn around or say anything else.

Kuroko didn't seem to mind it as Kagami could hear his soft footsteps coming closer to his cell. "Kiyoshi-_san _has been very worried about you, Kagami-_kun_. I suggest you go and apologize to him once you're released from prison."

"Once I'm released from prison?" Kagami repeated in astonishment. Kuroko's words finally managed to make him turn around, eyes wide with disbelieve. "What does that mean?"

"It means you will be released from prison soon, of course." Kuroko blinked innocently. "Did you expect anything else?"

"Did I—No, never mind. The people in your kingdom are insane. Now I'm certain about it." Kagami almost threw his hands up in exasperation if he didn't remember they were still tied up. "I took part in an assassination attempt to the king. Pardon me if I had expected an execution waiting for me outside!"

"There was a talk about that, but the king and Prince Aomine agreed to spare you of execution. After all, you were just acting accordingly, to quote Aomine-_kun_'s words."

"So I will just be released from the prison after aiding an attempt to kill the king, after killing and injuring your kingdom's guards, without being punished? I feel so special."

"Of course not. You will still be punished, but your punishment will be decided by Aomine-_kun_, since you are his soldier. I'm sure Aomine-_kun_ had told you that his army is immune from the kingdom's law."

Understanding dawned on Kagami. Of course, getting away with such heavy crime unpunished was impossible. Kagami had known this, but he had never thought he would escape execution. Apparently, he really had to adapt with the strange custom of the Touou's kingdom. It seemed that Aomine's words actually had big influence here, probably equal with that of the king's. It was curious and Kagami inwardly took note of that.

"So has he decided a punishment for me yet?"

"Yes, he has," Kuroko's face was still as expressionless as ever, but Kagami swore he saw those twin pools of sky blue glinted with something akin to sadistic pleasure. It sent shiver down to Kagami's spine and his ominous hunch was proven true as Kuroko continued, "Aomine-_kun _has decided that as your punishment, you will be my swordplay mentor and that means you will have to accompany me whenever I want."

"Oh, great. Can't he be merciful and just kill me right away?" Kagami groaned, because being around Kuroko for long time would certainly destroy his sanity.

Kuroko's lips quirked into a small smile. "He might. After all, he had also scheduled a duel between you and him once you've regained your strength."

"Is that the real punishment?" Dueling certainly felt like a more appropriate punishment than teaching Kuroko swordplay. In a duel, it was not impossible for Aomine to win and kill Kagami fair and square. Not that Kagami would lose easily against Aomine, of course.

"No, but Aomine-_kun _said it'll be better if he give you a chance to fight against him in a duel. That way, you may actually be satisfied and actually start to behave when he defeats you."

"He's such an arrogant bastard. It'll be interesting to see his face when I make him kneel down in front of me."

"I doubt that will happen, but that does sound interesting." Kuroko said in deadpan tone. He then tilted his head slightly. "So, do you want to get out from here or are you still enjoying your stay in our prison?"

"There's no way I will enjoy being confined here! When will I be released?"

"Right now." Kuroko took out the keys from his pocket, dangling them in front of Kagami's astonished face.

The teal haired man wasn't laughing, but Kagami knew Kuroko was taking some kind of adverse amusement from teasing him. Oh, well, Kagami would let him have his fun for now. After all, he still needed Kuroko to get out from the prison and, besides, he could always humiliate Kuroko later when he was _teaching _the other of swordplay. He couldn't do anything but to accept that punishment, so he might as well enjoy it.

**xXXx**

Aomine stood in front of his big window, gazing down at the center of the town square. The people were gathering there, making a circle of crowds with three people right in the center. Aomine's navy orbs were focusing on those people, one who held a leather whip in hand and the other who was forced on a Judas chair by a guard from behind. From this distance, Aomine could only catch the glimpse of blond head bowing down, unmoving even when the whip went down in a harsh lash.

The sun was high in the sky, the heat must be unbearable for Kise since he wouldn't have any chance to shy away from the blazing heat and that could be even more painful than the whipping he currently received. Aomine clenched his fists, hating the unexplainable pain throbbing in his chest. He knew the punishment he gave was perfect. If he had suggested anything lesser than this, Imayoshi might not accept it and then Kise wouldn't be excused from execution. He was basically saving Kise's life with this.

Logically, Aomine knew all that, but still he was furious and, if he had to admit, guilty for what Kise had to endure.

The knock on his door was a welcomed distraction. Aomine tore his gaze away from the window, away from the sight of Kise's battered body, and called out to his guest.

When the door was opened, Momoi calmly stepped in. She was smiling faintly when she saw Aomine, but it was nothing like her usual warm smile. This smile was restrained, as if she was trying to hold back her temper—which was not all that different with Aomine's, actually. Momoi could see the gears in Aomine's brain work fast. It made her smile curl wider. She noticed the moment Aomine knew he was in trouble, for his face actually went slightly paler at that, and it brought out a certain satisfaction in her.

"We need to talk, Aomine-_kun_."

Aomine couldn't hide the way he cringed. Momoi would never call him _Aomine-_kun unless she was really mad or annoyed at him. Judging from the way her pink orbs were blazing as they gazed at him, Aomine would say Momoi was beyond that. She actually looked furious enough to chew Aomine's head off—literally. Knowing what was best for him, Aomine nodded wordlessly, gesturing at her to come closer.

"What had I done this time?" Aomine asked in resigned tone.

"I think the question should be, what hadn't you done?" Momoi huffed, coming up to stand beside Aomine and immediately noticing what he had seen moments before. Momoi's anger faltered and for a second, her face turned worried. It seemed that the situation was far more serious than what she had previously thought. "You need to explain everything to me, Dai-_chan_."

"What is there to explain, Satsuki? What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Momoi repeated firmly. "You can start from explaining why Kise Ryouta is here and why you're so protective of him."

"Isn't that obvious?" Aomine raked a hand through his hair. "I won against him in the battle and then I took him as a spoil of war. Thus, he is my prize, my possession. I'm just bad at sharing and letting anyone else touch my possessions. That is all."

"Alright, I will accept that," Momoi relented. She knew Aomine wasn't lying when he answered. "but now you have to tell me the true reason, Dai-_chan_. I know you. You have never protected anyone else like you protected Kise Ryouta. He is just a spoil of war; there is no need for you to care so much about him. There must be something that made you change like that and you _will_ tell me that reason."

Aomine grunted noncommittally. He hated it when Momoi was being nosy around him. He could understand why she was worry, because even he, himself, realized he was acting different around Kise, but how could he answer her question if he didn't know the answer either? He sighed, trying to collect his thoughts. Thankfully, Momoi was kind enough to wait until he could find the words to satisfy her.

However, the silence only stretched on and on until finally Momoi huffed in exasperation. Sometimes, Aomine could be infuriating. "Tetsu-_kun _told me that you are intrigued by his power, since he was the first person who could fight almost equally against you and that you want to fight with him in a proper duel. Is that right?"

"I did tell him that." Aomine shrugged, neither agreeing nor denying Momoi's statement.

"But there's something more than that."

Momoi nodded decisively, certain with her prediction. Aomine could only roll his eyes. Sometimes, he hated how sharp his childhood friend could be. He crossed his arms on his chest, unconsciously defensive. He had never liked it when someone was trying to talk about feelings or something deep with him. Aomine wasn't good at talks like that. Sadly, Momoi was brutally blunt when she wanted to, probably influenced by Kuroko, and so she continued ruthlessly,

"You don't see him as a spoil of war, Dai-_chan_. You see him as something more than that. You might be attracted by his power and skill at first, but now things had changed. This Kise Ryouta attracts you, doesn't he? There's something about him that makes you want to protect him and that's why you're acting different around him. Now tell me, what is it that attracts you so?"

His eyes, Aomine wanted to say. He wasn't really sure whether what Momoi had said was right or not. He still thought that all he wanted was to know the true extent of Kise's power in a duel first and foremost, but Kise's eyes … they were different. They showed determination that never ended. They showed the will to never give up, no matter what punishment he would receive. Kise was strong, stronger than anyone else Aomine had ever met, both mentally and physically. Aomine couldn't help but to respect Kise and that was why he would never let him be killed by anyone else. If Kise should be killed, it would be by Aomine's hands only.

That was what Aomine wanted to say to Momoi, but the words stuck in his throat. He couldn't tell his childhood friend any of that, half because of his ego and half out of shame. Who would guarantee Momoi wouldn't laugh at him if he had said the truth? No one; and Aomine hated nothing more than being ridiculed by others. Aomine kept his silence, glaring defiantly at Momoi.

Both of them held each other's gazes for a moment before Momoi rolled her eyes. Aomine was being stubborn and she knew he wouldn't give her answer even if she nagged continuously at him. It didn't matter, though. Momoi could easily take Aomine's silence as an answer.

"So now you want to conquer his heart too?"

Aomine glowered at her, because the question was just too sudden—too unexpected. Momoi giggled under his glare, completely unfazed. She decided to let the matter go for now as she just grinned and patted Aomine's shoulder fondly after that. When she looked up at him, the smile on her face was warm and fond, like always. There was silent understanding when their eyes met, words exchanged within the silence, and Aomine would always be grateful to have her as his friend-cum-conscience.

He gently took her wrist and kissed her palm to show his gratitude. Her smile softened as she let him hold her hand for a moment longer. When he finally let go of her hand, it was with a murmured, "Thank you," and they both knew exactly the true meaning behind it.

**xXXx**

Hanamiya was having fun. In front of him, Kise Ryouta, Teikou's top general and one of the best generals in the nation, was screaming in pain every time the whip in Hanamiya's hand lashed at his tender skin. The pained scream would only intensify whenever the guard behind Kise pushed the fallen general onto the Judas chair and Hanamiya relished in the heartbreaking sound.

This was what Hanamiya loved the most, destroying people who were once put on high pedestal. He had always believed that no matter how strong a person was, once they were broken, they were only garbage.

Once he was satisfied enough with his work, leaving red, bloody marks all over Kise's body, Hanamiya curled up his whip. Kise had fallen completely silent now, having not enough strength to even let out any sound louder than a whimper. Hanamiya's lips curved into a satisfied smirk.

"Not so high and mighty now, General Kise Ryouta," he drawled as he took a step closer to Kise, using his coiled whip to push Kise's chin up so he could stare at Kise's unfocused eyes, "you are lucky Prince Aomine still protects you, but let's see how long it will last. For now, enjoy the rest of your punishment."

There was no response from Kise, but that was alright. Hanamiya hadn't expected any. With one last malicious smirk, he let go of Kise. Hanamiya nodded at the guard behind Kise before walking away, the crowds immediately making way for him as he walked pass them. Hanamiya was known to be merciless when he was giving out a punishment and the people of Touou kingdom knew he wouldn't hold back even to them. Thus, no one was brave enough to get close to him—except for one person.

"You look far too happy, Hanamiya."

Hanamiya halted his steps when Kiyoshi blocked his path. The soldier still had his usual warm smile on his face, but it just pissed Hanamiya off. Out of all Aomine's soldiers whom Hanamiya had ever had the unpleasant chance to know, Kiyoshi Teppei was the most infuriating of them all. Hanamiya loathed everything about Kiyoshi, especially his stupid smile. Too bad he couldn't just stab Kiyoshi to get rid of the annoying peasant.

"Am I not allowed to be happy?"

"Of course that's not what I mean," Kiyoshi had the audacity to actually chuckle at Hanamiya's words. "It's nice seeing you smile sincerely for once, even if the reason for that smile is so macabre."

"I will take your words as a compliment," Hanamiya shrugged lightly. He continued onward, hoping Kiyoshi would catch the hints and leave him alone. Sadly, Kiyoshi had simply stepped aside for a moment before deciding to walk beside Hanamiya, ignoring the cold glare he received for that. "Don't you have anything to do, Kiyoshi?"

From Hanamiya's tone, he might as well say, "Get lost, you trash," but of course Kiyoshi ignored it—once again. Hyuuga had always told him how dense he was, anyway. "Not at the moment. Kagami is with Sir Kurokoso I am free right now. What about it, do you want to have a drink at the tavern? We can always spar after that, Hanamiya!"

"Why would I ever go with you? You can go alone or perhaps take one of your _beloved _friends along. Stop bothering me." Hanamiya hastened his pace, hoping to escape from Kiyoshi and his annoyingly cheerful attitude. Being around the other would only give him a headache. What happiness Hanamiya had moments ago was now gone without a trace.

"Oh, don't say that," Kiyoshi said lightly, suddenly grabbing Hanamiya's hand before almost dragging the other towards the most popular tavern in town.

Hanamiya, once the shock of feeling Kiyoshi's warm skin touching his fell off, cursed under his breath. He tried to release the hold Kiyoshi had on him, but to no avail. Curse Kiyoshi and his iron grip. "I swear I will kill you in our next spar, Kiyoshi."

Kiyoshi grinned widely. He knew Hanamiya had more or less resigned his fate for now if he said that. Kiyoshi didn't doubt Hanamiya would certainly try to go through with his words, but he wasn't that worried since his skill was almost equal with Hanamiya's. The grin could still be seen on his face even when they both finally entered the tavern. Kiyoshi greeted the owner—who had known him quite well from his frequent visit—and once again dragged Hanamiya to sit beside him.

With a sigh, Hanamiya did as Kiyoshi wanted, but his glare still hadn't faltered even the slightest bit. He turned towards Kiyoshi, "You're paying for the drinks."

"Alright!" Kiyoshi beamed as Hanamiya scoffed and ordered the strongest drink to the owner. He didn't mind paying, since it was a rare chance for him to spend time with the other. Hanamiya usually would deny his request firmly, sometimes even using violence to make Kiyoshi leave him alone, so he would cherish this moment—because Kiyoshi rather liked spending the day with Hanamiya, despite his venomous mouth and attitude.

**xXXx**

When the night came, the tavern was only getting even more crowded. A lot of knights and travelers were staying there, filling the warm, familiar tavern with loud chatter and boisterous laughter. The owner always enjoyed speaking with the knights and travelers, since they would always bring interesting stories with them. He knew almost all of his customers, having seen their faces so frequently, and so he immediately took notice of a newcomer—a traveler, judging by his worn out cloak—who was sitting far on the back corner of the tavern. He couldn't see the face of the traveler since he had his hood up, but the owner could sense he was dangerous and no one in Touou would be stupid enough to get near danger. So he observed silently, keeping an eye but making sure he wouldn't need to get close to the traveler.

Little did the owner know that the traveler was actually a noble knight from Shuutoku who had been sent as a spy to Touou. Miyaji Kiyoshi had been very careful while doing his duty, keeping low profile and unnoticed, until now. Miyaji hated the fact he would have to go to the most popular tavern in the town, but he needed to meet with the annoying Hayama Kotarou from Teikou and God knows Hayama wouldn't be able to find him if their meeting place wasn't a well-known one.

Miyaji knew the owner was suspicious of him, but that couldn't be helped. The Touou people were always good at sniffing spies and traitors, but Miyaji was not a greenhorn. He knew that as long as he didn't attract the attention of the royal's knights, his secret would never be revealed. Still, it was annoying to wait without doing anything. Miyaji grumbled before gulping his drink. He knew it was not a good decision to drink while on mission, but he would need the alcohol in his system to tolerate Hayama. The Teikou's knight always could get on Miyaji's nerves.

Two travelers in hooded coats stepped into the room just when Miyaji was about to go up to his room. The tavern immediately fell silent, everyone's eyes watching the two newcomers. The tension raised as the travelers walked in, their steps light, just like trained assassins. One of the travelers walked towards the owner, pulling down his hood to reveal a man with light hair and disarming grin. Immediately, the tension in the room lightened. Everyone returned to their conversation, no longer wary about the strangers once they figured they were not a threat.

"Pardon me, kind sir, but I'm looking for my friend. You may have seen him, he's quite tall and he wore grey cloak with hood up."

The owner grunted an affirmative before pointing at Miyaji who had been simply watching everything. Hayama's face immediately brightened when their eyes met, before he thanked the owner and walked towards Miyaji's table, his companion tailing along silently.

"Sir Miya—"

"Say my name any louder and I will kill you faster than you can blink, Hayama." Miyaji glared at the idiot. Truly, he couldn't understand why King Akashi had to send Hayama, as he was too loud and reckless to be a spy.

"Ah, right. You are a spy." Hayama whispered with wide eyes, as if he had just remembered what they were supposed to do there. "I apologize."

Miyaji rolled his eyes, because Hayama's face didn't seem regretful at all. He grunted and nodded towards the two empty chairs in front of him, signaling for Hayama and his companion to sit down. Once they did so, Miyaji's attention was focused on Hayama's companion. His eyes met with grey ones. Miyaji blinked in surprise before smirking wryly, "Well, this is unexpected. The situation must have been very dire if King Akashi even sent you here, Sir Haizaki."

"He just didn't want to take any risk." Haizaki drawled coldly. His eyes scanned around the tavern once, taking notes of the people with weapons on them and the amount of royal knights there. "Quite a crowded place you chose, Miyaji."

"Yes, I'd thought Hayama was going to come alone, so I picked the one place that wouldn't be missed, even by someone like him. If I had known you were coming along too, I'd have chosen somewhere far more secluded. Pardon me."

"It doesn't matter, does it? Besides, this is not too bad. No one will suspect us as anything more than ordinary travelers here," Hayama grinned confidently before his eyes turned serious as he leaned forward and asked, "So, what news do you have for us, Sir Miyaji?"

Miyaji turned his gaze towards Hayama, seeing the full focus the other man had, and had to admit Hayama was a good knight. He knew when to get down to the job. "Sir Kise is certainly here, being held as a prisoner. It was true that he had attempted to kill King Imayoshi in his presentation and his punishment was held in the town square just today. He was not executed, though. He was given the Judas chair and whipping instead. His punishment was over just as the night replaced the day. I don't know where he is being held now, but I think he's not in any danger for now."

"The Judas chair, the Touou people sure are cruel." Hayama whistled.

"Kise would be able to handle it, you don't have to worry about that," Haizaki commented. "What about Kagami? Have you heard anything about him?"

"Sir Kagami is now one of Prince Aomine's soldiers. He is also pardoned from his crime in helping Kise. I haven't seen him around, but I think he's still alive and well." Miyaji leaned back on his chair, a faint frown on his face. "They both get away with barest punishment, actually. That is quite strange."

"We need to get more news about them, then." Haizaki concluded. "Do you have ways to slip into the castle?"

"Yes. I've found some passages that aren't used anymore, but the guards are still patrolling around sometimes."

"That is fine. Hayama would be able to get pass the guards."

Hayama grinned. "Of course. That will be easy for me. Just show me all the passages and tomorrow, I'll gather information inside the castle for us."

"Oh, great, now I have to accompany you for the whole night. What a joy." Miyaji said sarcastically.

"Sir Miyaji, you are so cruel! It's just one night. There's nothing wrong with accompanying me, right? I swear I won't annoy you too much!"

Miyaji snorted. "Well, at least you realize you are annoying. Fine, but if you do anything strange, I will throw a pineapple at you."

* * *

**To be Continued …**

* * *

_**A/N: **__Not much AoKise's interaction here, because I don't have the heart to describe Kise's punishment vividly. This chapter revealed something important enough for the story's plot, though. I wonder if anyone can figure what it is. Anyway, next chapter will be fully consist of AoKise, since they need to actually talk for once. I hope you enjoy this and thank you for reading!_


	11. Darkness

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 11 – Darkness**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

**A/N: **_*groveling* I am terribly sorry for the tardiness of this update. RL is starting again and suddenly my writing schedule is a mess. I can't say how sorry I am for this. All that I can say is thank you for all of your patience and I hope you will forgive me for my tardiness. Also, I apologize that I can't reply to any signed reviews for the last chapter. I just … didn't have the time yet. I promise that won't happen again, though. Anyway, here's the reply for anon/non-member reviews:_

_Rainnie: Thank you for your review! Just like you, I can't wait to write about playful, seductive Kise who actually takes advantage of Aomine's obsession for him too. Too bad he can't immediately do that so soon after his punishment, but I'm sure we'll be able to see him more in future chapters! Akashi's counterattack will take a while, though. He's a mastermind. He won't want anything in his plan goes wrong so it'll take quite a long time for him to perfect his plan._

_Vee: Thank you for your review! Yes, MidoTaka indeed is very cute. I like this pair mucho, too. As for what Midorima meant … well, I guess you'll find the answer in this chapter. I'm glad if you like the KiyoHana interaction! They are one of the minor pairing I actually like. Do expect to see them more. *grins*_

_Mrs. MalasLogin: Thank you for your review! You're very close to the truth, dear, but not quite. I'm sure you'll find what had actually happened in this chapter, though! I do hope you enjoy it._

_Guest and guest: thank you for your review. Here's the update. I hope you enjoy this chapter too._

_Special thanks go to my beta, __**Manzzeii**__, as always. You are one amazing and kind beta. I'm so lucky to have you. For all my readers, be it new or old, I thank you all too. _

_A little information about the previous chapter, the spy from Teikou that was sent by Akashi to Touou was _Hayama Kotarou_, a regular member of Rakuzan in Canon and not _Hanamiya Makoto_. I can understand why some people were confused at first, though, because their names sound similar. I hope this will clear any misunderstandings. _

_As for the updates, considering that I've become busy with RL once again, I can't promise a weekly update like before. I will still try to at least update for every two weeks at the very late, though. Oh, the first part of this chapter is Kise's dream, FYI.  
_

* * *

Darkness surrounded Kise completely, but it was not the cold darkness he had fallen into from exhaustion. This darkness was different, warmer and a lot more familiar. It was the kind of darkness that brought comfort to you, the one you would want to go to when you were tired of the world around you.

Slowly opening his eyes, Kise's topaz orbs blinked when the sight of a beautiful woman with shining golden hair and the most beautiful clear blue eyes greeted him. Tears gathered in Kise's eyes and he immediately knew he was dreaming, because that woman in front of him right now should be dead already. He squirmed slightly, feeling extremely weird with his now small body. The movement attracted the woman's—his mother's—attention. Her lips immediately formed a warm smile, one that was reserved for her only child. Kise's breath stuck in his throat. Never had he had such a realistic dream like this and he didn't want to wake up, because even if it was only a fantasy, Kise wouldn't refuse the chance to meet with his mother again.

"You are sweating, dear. Did you have a bad dream?"

Kise could hear his mother asking, saw the obvious worry in her pretty eyes, and couldn't help but to offer a smile to reassure her, even though he was only dreaming. He sat up, selfishly relishing in the warmth of his mother's arms around his small body, before answering, "No. I can't even remember my dream anymore. Have you gotten any sleep, mother?"

His mother rubbed at his cheeks tenderly. Her smile never once faltered, but now Kise noticed the dark circles under her eyes. He realized the signs of fatigue that had started showing in his mother's smooth complexion and he felt a pang of regret in his heart. If he had realized it those years ago, perhaps he could do something to change the course of fate. "You don't have to worry about me, dear. Besides, we have visitors, Ryouta. It won't do if we ignore them."

Immediately, old memories resurfaced in Kise's mind. He knew what would happen next. With anticipation thrumming in his veins, Kise lifted his head higher, peering through his mother's shoulders to see the people standing on the other side of the bars. He first saw the little boy, no older than six years old at that time, whose bright red strands of hair were so startling even in the darkness. Then he saw the eyes, twin orbs of blood red, and suddenly his ears were filled with the sound of his own heartbeats.

Kise remembered then, that even in their first meeting, he had known Akashi would be an important person in his life. He had unconsciously started to attach himself to the young boy, already attracted by the thick power coiling around that small body. Kise knew, instinctively, that Akahi would take care of him and that he would be safe as long as he was with him.

All of those thoughts were running in Kise's mind faster than he could understand, but when their eyes met, Akahi only needed seconds before smiling a smile that should never appear on the face of a six years old boy. It was as if Akashi could read all of Kise's thoughts and was accepting them—accepting Kise's illogical need to depend on him.

There was something significant that they shared at that moment. They were making a connection. Too bad it was broken faster than either one of them really wanted when the man who had been standing silently beside Akashi finally spoke up.

The man's voice was deep and slightly rough. It was the sound of someone who had always been respected and never once denied of anything. Kise knew that voice with all his heart, for he had always listened to that voice every day. This time, though, the words that voice uttered were burned in Kise's memory almost immediately.

"Seijuurou, I want you to meet Ryouta, your half-brother."

The Teikou king put a hand on Akashi's shoulder, smiling proudly at his two children—one who was free and would inherit the throne, and the other chained without any chance of seeing the sun anytime soon. His gaze turned towards the only woman there, marveling at the beauty he had once claimed forcefully and now being kept in a filthy, cold cage. Ryouta and his mother were birds with clipped wings and they were the king's most beautiful collections.

Kise remembered the astonishment he felt after that, mixed with disgust, anger and confusion. He didn't know what to do. The sudden hope of freedom and an escape from loneliness when he saw Akashi disappeared in an instant. After all, how could he even get close to the son of his mother's rapist?

**xXXx**

When Kise opened his eyes this time, it was with a groan. His body hurt so much and something was brushing against his wounds. It was cold and it made his wounds sting painfully. Kise couldn't focus his gaze. His eyelids were heavy, his breaths labored and he was feeling extremely hot despite his naked state. He groaned again, louder this time, and turned his head to one side.

There was the faint mumble of apology when someone gently put a cold rug on his forehead. Kise blinked heavily, trying to lift his gaze upwards. He then saw a youth face staring down at him with worried crease between his brows. Kise immediately recognized that person. It was Sakurai Ryou, the Touou's healer. Kise parted his dry and chapped lips, trying to say something, but his vocal cord refused to cooperate. No sound escaped from Kise's opened lips.

"Hush. Just go back to sleep, Kise-_san_. I'm sorry for being too rough. I will try to not do it again." Sakurai's voice was very soft. It calmed Kise without any particular reason. It didn't take long for Kise to obey and he once again fell into a deep slumber.

Sakurai sighed in relief when Kise's breaths once again returned into deep, rhythmical pattern. However, he still couldn't stop worrying as his professional eyes assessed the wounds scattered all over Kise's body. Hanamiya was very thorough in delivering the punishment. There was almost no patch of healthy skin that could be seen among the angry red marks of the whip. To make the situation worse, the wound on Kise's shoulder was infected. Kise was having high fever because of that and Sakurai was truly grateful for the short amount of time of Kise's punishment. The infection would only get worse if Kise was left outside for any longer and it might actually put Kise's life in danger if not tended immediately.

"How is he, Ryou?"

"His fever is still dangerously high, My Lord, but I have tended to the injuries and I've administered herbal ointment on the infected area. Hopefully it will cure it soon and his fever will come down. As it was, though, here was nothing else I can do for now. I can only give him draughts; the rest of his recovery depends solely on his own immune system."

"We don't have to worry, then. He will recover soon. He would never let himself die like this." Aomine commented with a faint smirk, even though if one looked closely, they might find hints of anxiety in his navy blue orbs.

Sakurai smiled knowingly, but he didn't say anything. He gathered his equipment before moving away from the bed, after making sure Kise was comfortable. "I will leave him with you then, My Lord, but please remember to not aggravate him. What he needs the most to recover now is a proper rest. I hope you understand."

Aomine grunted something that could be taken as an affirmation. Sakurai bowed low once before excusing himself from the room, leaving Aomine alone with his unconscious captive. For a moment, Aomine didn't do anything. He was only standing there while studying Kise's pale face. He sighed softly, hating the not-so-unfamiliar feeling of worry and guilt that started to consume him once again.

After a while, Aomine finally dragged a chair closer to the bed's side and sat down on it. He watched in silence at Kise's sleeping form, navy blue eyes sweeping at the wounds, angry red lashes that stood up against Kise's pale skin. They were making such a contrast against Kise's natural milky white skin tone and Aomine had to admit that even with all the wounds, Kise still looked stunning. His gaze shifted upwards to Kise's face. Despite the injuries he sustained, Kise still looked peaceful in his sleep. His blond lashes fanned on his smooth cheeks, unmoving as he slept dreamlessly. Kise's red lips were parted slightly to help him breathe, tempting Aomine to taste them. It took a lot of Aomine's self-control to remember that attacking someone unconscious was a graceless act only cowards would do.

He reached out his hand, gently, and encircled Kise's pale neck. His hand closed around it easily, Kise didn't even stir in his sleep. It was amazing, because Aomine knew he could easily tightened his hold, cutting off Kise's air track and the blond wouldn't even realize anything before it was too late. Almost like being fuelled with that thought, Aomine's fingers tightened their hold. He could feel the constant pulse of Kise's vein under his skin and Aomine was so tempted to just follow through with his thought to destroy the source of the strange feelings inside of him.

He pulled away with obvious struggle. The image of him killing someone who couldn't defend themselves actually made him sick in his stomach. He heaved a big sigh before resting his elbows on his knees and buried his face on his hands. Aomine didn't like this at all. He wasn't used to worry about other people and he would be damned if this continued on.

He wouldn't let these feelings controlled him. Aomine had been holding back for far too long. He wouldn't do that again. Once Kise woke up, Aomine would take him and then hopefully this annoying feeling would go away. If suddenly he could hear Momoi's voice inside his head, then Momoi—and his conscience—only need to shut up.

**xXXx**

_What would happen if a king raped someone?_

If Kise was asked that question, he would be able to answer without hesitation and tell everyone that the truth was: nothing; at least not for the king. He wouldn't be punished, least of all scorned by the people. After all, he was the number one person in the whole kingdom, the one who held absolute power and no one would be brave enough to say anything about his crime.

For the woman, though, the story was completely different. If the king had taken a liking to her even after taking her without consent, then she might be fortunate enough to be taken as a concubine. If the king got bored of her afterwards, the girl usually was discarded or returned to her home with shame that made her unable to tell about the traumatic experience to anyone else. On rare cases in which the king wanted to keep the girl but was refused, she would be accused as a seducer who wanted power and then she would be sent into a prison—which made her the king's possession nevertheless.

Kise's mother fell into the third category. She was a beautiful girl, known for her golden crown and ice blue eyes. She was desired by many people back in her town and when the king visited the town, he, unbidden, fell for her charm too. She was a prideful woman, though, one that would not fall even for the king's status or money. Being raised as a noble, she knew she couldn't reject the king straightforwardly and so she played along with the king's wishes to accompany him for as long as his visit in town. Unfortunately, the king wouldn't get the hints and he wouldn't accept no for an answer from anyone. So when his advances were rejected time and time again, his patience finally wore thin.

The traumatic event happened on the last night of the king's visit. It was said that when it happened people could hear her screams even outside the door, but the king was absolute. There would be no nobles who could tell him to stop and his bad habit of lusting after women was well known, so there was no help coming for Kise's mother. People turned deaf ears on the painful screams, hushing the others and telling them to stay in their rooms for the whole night.

The next morning, at the last breakfast the king would be having in town, he asked to claim her as his new concubine. The request was denied by her, who was still sitting proudly despite the humiliation she had received. Her denial stunned the king for a moment, before rage clouded his thought and he turned the whole fact around by saying how she had crawled into his bed last night and so she must be captured for seducing the king. Of course, every people who attended the breakfast knew the truth, but once again power silenced them. Kise's mother still held her head high even when she was pushed into the king's carriage like a livestock.

Ever since then, she had been living in the Teikou's prison. Her new home was a small cell with stone walls and without any window. It was always cold and dark there, but still she refused to give in to the king's offer of luxury life as his concubine. It didn't stop the king from taking her whenever he wanted, though. When she was pregnant two years after her imprisonment, it was only miracle that made her decide to keep her baby. People had thought she would kill the baby inside of him—the disgusting thing that shared blood with her rapist—but for her, having the baby was the only solution she had to escape from the loneliness and the coldness of the prison.

Kise was born in the prison and for a very long time, there were only the both of them there with the occasional visit from the king. Kise's world was so small back then. All that he knew was the cold stone floor and the walls of his cell, the hard wooden bench that served as their bed and the comforting warmth of his mother's embrace whenever the winter came. He was happy, though, because his mother showered him with so much love he felt full with it. He didn't particularly like the king (mostly because his mother would always look sad whenever he came to visit them), but he didn't hate him either. He knew the king was the one who condemned them into the cold hell, but he was also the reason Kise could be with his mother. As long as he had his mother, he would not have a place in his heart for resentment.

As he started to grow up, his view of the world started to change. Curiosity was something Kise had always had and would never let go. He knew there was another world outside the prison he and his mother lived in, a world that was bright and filled with noises. Kise wanted to see that world, but he knew it was a futile wish. He couldn't and wouldn't leave his mother alone in the darkness. So he satisfied himself by hearing stories of the 'outside world' from Akashi whenever the young prince came to visit and he managed to convince himself he was happy with it.

Kise had never thought his world was about to change completely.

The worst winter in the whole nation came when Kise was still a young teenager (no older than fifteen, at that time). For almost every day, blizzards and ice-storms were raging, freezing the grounds and rivers. Most of the live stocks were dead, unable to stand against the cold. The grains and breads that had been stored were disappearing in alarmingly fast rate. It was meat that disappeared first, followed by bread and grains not long after that. For the first time in such a long time, the people in Teikou were starving and there was nothing they could do against the nature's rage.

Inside the stone prison, Kise was shivering violently. His small body was curled tightly, his teeth wouldn't stop clattering and his lips had started to go blue from the cold. His mother wouldn't leave his side even for a minute, gathering him into her arms and cocooning him with her warmth—and yet it was still not enough. The only thing they could still be grateful for was the warm soup that would always be delivered to their prison. At least it would keep them warm for a while.

After a long, trying time, the deadly winter was finally replaced by kind spring. Heat started to melt the ice that had covered the rivers, once again giving chance for the people to search for food. The ground started to thaw from their frozen state and the people cheered as they started cultivating, changing the death ground into source of life once again.

The spring heat worked even slower inside the prison. Still, slowly but surely Kise stopped shivering and with enough warm food, he finally recovered. Sadly, his mother wasn't so lucky.

Kise's mother died few months after that because of pneumonia. Kise didn't even realize she was already passed away until he shook her body, trying to wake her, only to find that she was as cold as ice—as cold as the winter that had tortured them so. By that time, Kise was already old enough to understand the concept of death. He knew one day people would be taken away by it, never to return again, but never once he thought it would happen to his mother. His mother was always special in Kise's eyes. She was like an angel and it was supposedly impossible for death to take away an angel.

It didn't matter what Kise thought, though, because soon some men were assigned to take his mother's body away and then Kise was left alone for the first time in his whole life. The cell he had known forever suddenly became so foreign without his mother's warmth. Kise had always thought the cell was small, but now that he was alone, he realized the dark corners which held terrifying secrets. He became scared of the sound of howling wind or even the squeaking of the rats—things that he had known ever since he could remember. The bed became too big for him and he would always sleep in fetal position, as if he wanted to feel the comfort of his mother's womb once again.

Never had Kise understood true loneliness until then and it scared him to death. He had never realized that being all alone could be so terrifying and he could only hope—desperately—someone would take him away from the lonely world he lived in now that his mother had been taken away from him.

No one ever came to visit Kise in his lonely cell after that, not until three years later when Kise finally saw the familiar sight of Akashi once again. Just like Kise, Akashi had changed too, but for the better. The power Kise had seen faintly when they were younger was even more obvious now. Akashi was no longer a kid. He was a man now and the regal air around him was magnificent. Kise was attracted helplessly towards him, coming close to his prison bars, fingers reaching out towards the other and Akashi let Kise traced his face for a moment. It was the first time Kise touched another human's warmth after three years of loneliness.

"I had become the king," was what Akashi told Kise first and foremost as he gently grabbed Kise's fingers with his hands. They were warm, so warm Kise thought he would be burned from the touch. "Father died of illness and I've become the king. You won't have to stay here any longer, Ryouta. You won't be lonely anymore."

Kise watched silently as Akashi offered him a sweet smile. Then, with the same voice he always used when he gave out orders, Akashi spoke up once again, "Let's go, Ryouta. Let's go to the outside world."

Ever since then, Kise had left his lonely prison—his lonely world—and he didn't look back even once. Akashi had saved him, just like he had always believed. Kise couldn't wait to finally see the outside world he had always longed for.

**xXXx**

The sun had been rising for a while now, another day had come to greet the Earth, and yet Kise was still unconscious. Aomine hadn't moved away from the bed side for the whole time, even ordering the maids to bring his dinner and breakfast into the room. At one point of time, Imayoshi had called him, requesting for a meeting, but Aomine ignored it. He didn't feel like leaving Kise until the other regained consciousness.

There was yet another knock on his door. Aomine sighed before calling out for whoever was on the other side. He wasn't particularly surprised to see Kuroko walking in after that, but Aomine's brows hit his hairline when he saw the soldier trailing after the teal haired man.

"What is he doing here?" Aomine asked with a frown. He didn't particularly like to be in the same room with Kagami.

"Kagami-_kun _is here as part of his punishment. He's supposed to be my guardian for a while, right?" Kuroko answered innocently. He then stepped closer to Aomine, gazing down at Kise with the faintest of frowns creasing between his brows. "He hasn't wake up yet?"

"Not yet, but Ryou said it's perfectly normal. He needs to rest a lot to recover. At least, that's what I gathered from Ryou's explanation."

"Are you sure he's alright?"

Two pairs of eyes turned towards Kagami who had uttered the question. The redhead's eyes were hard as he stared back at both Aomine and Kuroko. This was the first time Kagami saw Kise after the blond's punishment and his ex-general looked so fragile and weak that it made Kagami's heart thump painfully in his chest. He wanted to switch place with Aomine, to stay guard on Kise's side, but he knew that wouldn't happen.

Aomine scowled deeper, but he could tell Kagami was genuinely worried about Kise and that made his annoyance shimmer down slightly. It didn't mean he would answer the question, though. He still didn't like Kagami enough to give him any assurances.

"Don't worry, Kagami-_kun_. Our healer knows what he does really well. Kise-_san _will be alright." Kuroko anwered for the red head when he saw Aomine scoffed from the corner of his eyes. He allowed a small smile to curve his lips to reassure Kagami further. "Besides, despite how rough and rude he is, Aomine-_kun _is good at looking after sick people. I'm sure he will take good care of Kise-_san_."

Aomine spluttered, "Oi, Tetsu! What nonsense were you saying now? Stop spouting lies about me!"

"But that's the truth, Aomine-_kun_. I still remember how you were looking after Momoi-_san _when she was sick."

"That's different! Satsuki is my friend! It's not like I will do the same with him!"

"Aomine-_kun_, you really shouldn't lie. Especially not to yourself."

"I am not lying, Tetsu! Why do I ever need to—"

"Ah, he's awake."

"—lie ... huh?" Aomine stopped mid-rant when he heard Kagami's words. He shifted his eyes back at Kagami and the other man only gestured at him towards Kise. So Aomine turned around and he could honestly say his hear skipped a beat when his navy orbs were suddenly met with hazy topaz ones. Kise still looked out of it, but there was a light of recognition in his eyes.

"I thought I was back in Teikou when I saw Kagami_cchi_." Kise's voice was raspy and yet he was already able to grin at them. "I would keep thinking like that if only I hadn't seen your grumpy face, Aomine."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "I see you are better now." He reached out to take the wet rug on Kise's forehead and checked on his temperature just to make sure. Kise's fever had went down. Aomine hated that he actually felt glad for that.

"Yes, thanks to your healer," Kise chuckled before turning his attention towards Kagami. Kise's chuckle softened down into a genuine smile, one that he had never shown since he was taken as spoil of war. "I'm glad to see you are fine, Kagami_cchi_. I see Aomine really tried his best to keep his promise."

Kagami replied Kise's smile with worried frown. "Are you alright, Kise?"

"Every inch of my body hurts and the Judas chair really was horrible to my tailbone, but I will recover, Kagami_cchi_. I am not a fragile porcelain doll, you should have known that better than anyone else."

"I know, but—"

"Tetsu, go and get some food for Kise." Aomine's voice cut through Kagami's statement—it was obvious he did it in purpose—and brought Kuroko's attention back to him. He reveived a questioning look for his order, because Aomine could always ask one of the maids who was standing outside for that, but Aomine only tilted his head slightly towards Kise. Thankfully, Kuroko seemed to get the hint as he only nodded wordlessly.

"Come, Kagami-_kun_." Kuroko took Kagami's wrist and not-so-subtly dragged the other out of the room, ignoring the protest from Kagami until their figures disappeared behind closed door.

"Aw, that's too bad. I'd love to speak with Kagami_cchi_ a little bit longer, actually." Kise sighed as if he really was disappointed.

"What's with the ridiculous nickname?"

"Ridiculous? I am offended, Aomine," Kise smirked, all hints of playfulness gone in an instance. "it's my special nickname, given only to certain people. You don't have to worry, I'm quite sure I will never add the ridiculous suffix to your name."

"I am grateful for that." Aomine said flatly. His eyes then became more serious as he asked, "How is your body? And don't even think of lying to me."

"Just as I've said to Kagami_cchi_, I will alive." Kise tried to shrug his shoulders, but he winced in pain instead. "My wounds have started to get better. Remind me to show my gratitude to Sakurai Ryou the next time I meet with him."

Aomine narrowed his eyes, trying to detect any lies in Kise's expression. It was as if he was facing a complete stranger, though, because Kise's smile was different this time and his eyes didn't betray anything. Aomine couldn't tell whether Kise was lying. He then ran his eyes along the length of Kise's body, trying to assess the wounds by himself. He was no healer, but he had gotten injured often enough that he would be able to judge the severity of injuries just from looking at them.

When he finally concluded Kise was not lying, Aomine grunted softly before moving out of his chair to hover and lean down towards Kise. The man underneath him didn't struggle or try to run, this time. If anything, Kise was gazing back at Aomine with hints of challenge burning in his eyes. Apparently, both of them still remember the moment they spent in the prison.

Aomine's lips curled into a smirk. He then closed the gap between them, capturing Kise's lips in a kiss that was not at all gentle. Kise still went stiff under him from the touch, but then Aomine saw how those golden eyelashes started to flutter before Kise closed his eyes. Aomine smirked in the kiss when Kise tentatively tried to return the gesture.

The kiss was different. Aomine had never felt this excited just from one kiss with anyone else and, although the clumsy slide of his tongue against Kise's showed how inexperience the blond was, Aomine could tell Kise was a fast-learner. Aomine's lust spiked even more at the thought. He couldn't wait until Kise would finally become responsive to his touches.

Unfortunately, the kiss was over far sooner than what Aomine would have liked. Both of them were breathing hard by then, but Kise's face was a lot more flustered than Aomine's. It was fascinating to see the warm red blush decorating Kise's pale cheeks and how topaz orbs refused to meet Aomine's eyes out of embarrassment.

"You really don't have a shame, Aomine," Kise wiped at the saliva on the corner of his lips. "attacking injured people. What a lowly thing to do."

"It was only a kiss. You are exaggerating." Aomine snorted before pulling away and straightening up, ignoring the glare Kise gave at him. Tilting his head aside, Aomine then asked, "Do you still want to kill me, Kise?"

"Of course. Your kiss wasn't so great it would make me change my mind."

"Good. I will allow you to try killing me whenever you see the chance, then. I will make sure neither you nor Kagami will be punished if you, by miracle, actually manage to kill me and I will even allow you and Kagami to return to your kingdom if that ever happens. How does that sound to you?"

"That sounds far too suspicious," Kise narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure you're not offering all of those freely."

"You'd be stupid if you had thought otherwise. Of course there's a condition for that. In return to all of that, I want you to give yourself willingly for every murder attempt that fails. In simple words, if you fail to kill me, you will allow me to have sex with you."

Kise should have seen it coming, but he couldn't say it was a bad offer. In his current situation, Kise was sure every guard in Touou was watching him very closely. If he ever attempted any other murders, there would be no escaping execution for the second time. To have Aomine's permission meant Kise would have more freedom and if he succeded, he might even return to Teikou together with Kagami. Considering all of that, there really was nothing Kise could say in response to Aomine's offer other than,

"I agree. You better be careful from now on, Aomine. I won't waste your kind offer."

Aomine lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "I'm looking foward to it."

* * *

**To be Continued ...**

* * *

_**A/N: **__Thank you for reading this chapter! There is a lot of information about Kise's past thrown in there. I hope it doesn't become too much. As I've promised, in this chapter there's mostly about Aomine and Kise and their interaction. It will only start to be more interesting from now on. Let me know what you think about this chapter in a review. I always love knowing what the readers thought of my story. :)_


	12. Celebration

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter ****12**** – ****Celebration**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story informations.**

A/N: _I have no excuses for the tardiness of this update—other than real life. Seeing as how I'm most likely won't be able to follow up with the weekly update schedule again, I hereby change it into two weeks—at the very least. Thank you for the understanding. Go and say thanks to my lovely beta, __**Manzzeii **__who worked so fast for this chapter!_

_As always, here are the replies for anon/non-members reviews:_

_Mrs. MalasLogin: Thank you, kind Ma'am. Your words are very flattering. AkaKise is good—really good, although here they will only be brothers. As for your question, it'll be my honor if you like this story so much until you want to make a comic strip based on it. Permission granted._

_Guest: Thank you. You will see _a lot _more of AoKise in this chapter._

_Ria: Thank you for your review. I'm glad if I didn't make Akashi OOC (since he's a terribly hard character to write). I'm glad you like my overly long description and, yes, it's about time for Aomine to stop being a bastard. LOL, indeed people seem to mostly have only one reason to search for M-rated stories. I hope this chapter won't disappoint you, although I can't promise it'll be as nice as the last one. Don't worry about grammar, dear, since English isn't my native language either and, please, feel free to talk to me. I'm not that great. *blushes*_

_Rainnie: Thank you for your review, dear. Aomine will surely have lots of difficulties in winning Kise's heart. Their relationship will be going slow—emotional wise. I see a lot of people are waiting for Akashi to move. Let's hope what I have in mind will fulfill your wishes._

_Vee, guest, anon, Brittie and Aokise5eva (I agree with your name, btw): Thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate it! I hope you will enjoy this chapter too!_

* * *

Celebration was not something Akashi usually would indulge in. He cared little about wasting time by gathering lots of people together just to empty the wine barrels and take out whatever was left in the pantry. Moreover, he was not particularly fond with the noises that would surely arise, courtesy of too many individuals who loved to imbibe their selves with far too many draughts of beer. Because of those reasons, there were very few celebrations being held in Teikou since his crowning, but lately it had started to change because Kise_—_cursed him_—_seemingly love the merry atmosphere and he had very slowly convinced Akashi that sometimes, a little celebration wouldn't hurt.

Akashi was torn between thanking or planning a punishment for Kise now as he sat beside Himuro at the celebration that was held by the Yosen's king. Being a guest, he had no other option but to join in the merriment, but that still didn't mean he was enjoying it. Akashi hadn't touch much of the wine that was poured for him, opting instead to observe the soldiers that had been invited. Most of them were Yosen's best soldiers and nobles and they all looked quite happy with their drunken smiles.

Heterochromatic eyes swept around the room, missing nothing in their observation. The small group of Teikou's soldiers that Akashi had brought along was also there, joining with the crowd and some singing an off-tune song. Akashi smiled indulgently, reaching for his wine. Perhaps, Kise was right. A little celebration wouldn't hurt, especially in a hard time like this.

When Akashi put down his wine goblet, there was a plate filled with what seemed to be freshly baked bread in front of him. The smile on his face softened as he softly spoke, "Thank you, Atsushi. Are you not enjoying the party?"

"I like the food, but it's boring when Aka-_chin _is so far away from me." The answer came muffled as Murasakibara Atsushi kept chewing on the biscuit he had. The purple haired general lazily moved to Akashi's side and sat down, ignoring the protest from the other noble whose seat was stolen.

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, Atsushi. It's unbecoming from someone of high status like yourself," Akashi chastised softly. He didn't seem to be bothered by Murasakibara's giant presence beside him. If anything, it only made him more relaxed. He took small part of the bread Murasakibara had given to him and ate it slowly. He didn't need to look to know Murasakibara was watching him expectantly, impatient to know what he thought of the gift.

"Aka-_chin_, how was it?" Murasakibara whined almost childishly once Akashi had finished eating without saying anything.

Glancing through the corner of his eyes, Akashi was greeted by the sight of Murasakibara's pouting expression. He chuckled before taking another small part of the bread. Without words, he turned towards Murasakibara and offered the piece of bread. Violet orbs widened for a fraction of second before Murasakibara lowered his head obediently to take the bread into his mouth. Akashi could feel Murasakibara's warm tongue tickled his finger when the other pulled away.

"How was it, Atsushi?" Akashi's voice rumbled low, his eyes darkened as he saw Murasakibara licked his lips after swallowing.

"Sweet and soft. Just like Aka-_chin_."

Red brows lifted. Akashi didn't particularly appreciate being called as sweet, but Murasakibara looked very sincere as he said that, not even Akashi would be cruel enough to chastise him. He sighed instead, before patting Murasakibara's head like one would do to an overgrown puppy. "I see. Then you have given me an excellent gift. Thank you, Atsushi."

Murasakibara's eyes started to become suspiciously bright. A reverent whisper of, "Aka-_chin_," escaped from his lips and then his large body was draped all over Akashi. The sight of Yosen's best soldier hugging the Teikou's king was, apparently, expected as they didn't get more than a minute glance from the other guests in the room.

"As I thought, I really like Aka-_chin _the most."

"Even more than Tatsuya?" Akashi asked in teasing tone even as he patted Murasakibara's back fondly.

"I like Muro-_chin _too," Murasakibara lifted his head and gazed through Akashi's head towards Himuro who was looking at them with an amused smile on his face. "but Aka-_chin _is still the best."

"Should I be jealous for that?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Tatsuya. You know Atsushi would be sad if you actually were mad at him," Akashi turned towards his half-brother once Murasakibara had released him from the hug.

He tilted his head slightly, catching the Yosen's king's eyes. The king nodded wordlessly in return. Akashi's lips curled into a slow smirk. Apparently, Himuro had managed to convey the king to agree with their negotiation—just as Akashi had expected. Now they would only need to sign the deal formally.

"So ... does this mean Aka-_chin _and Muro-_chin _will stay here for a while longer?" Murasakibara drawled. He also had seen the wordless conversation that passed between the two kings.

"It would seem so. Looks like we can accompany you for a while." There was a crinkle on the corner of Himuro's eyes as he grinned. It made the mole just under his eyes became even more attractive, Murasakibara noted almost fondly.

Akashi smiled pleasantly. He reached out for his wine and sipped it slowly. The red liquid filled Akashi's taste buds with sweetness and a hint of something bitter. The wine made him feel pleasantly warm after he swallowed. "I am sure we will have fun, Atsushi. A lot of fun, until the time to take Ryouta and Taiga back comes."

Even then, Akashi knew they would still have fun. Perhaps more than now because there was nothing more interesting than the thrill of fighting in a war. Now that his plan was slowly coming together, Akashi could finally allow himself to feel excited. Truly, there was nothing he loved more than waiting to see his plans unravel beautifully. He just hoped Kise would be able to survive until then.

**xXXx**

Back in the Touou's castle, in the guest room that had been reserved for him, Kise was getting very annoyed. "Don't you have anything else to do?" he asked almost snidely.

Aomine lifted his brows. "No."

"Oh, don't lie to me. You are a prince, aren't you? There should be plenty of things you have to look after! Why don't you go away somewhere and leave me alone for a minute? I'm getting more than enough of your face, Aomine."

"You are correct for one thing—I am a prince. Hence, I am free to do anything I want and you really don't have any right to tell me to go away." The smirk on Aomine's face was positively infuriating. He was taking fun in seeing Kise's irritated face as he sat on the bed's side, polishing his broadsword for the sake of doing something.

Kise almost gritted his teeth. "You are doing this on purpose, aren't you? It's been two days. No matter how _obsessed _you are with my body, this is getting far too ridiculous!"

"It's your fault for taking too long to heal. I'm getting bored waiting for you to attack me, Kise."

"That didn't stop you from touching me." Kise narrowed his eyes. It had been two days since his punishment and the agreement he made from Aomine. In those two days, Aomine hadn't left Kise's room for more than two hours at most. He always made sure to be present when Sakurai was redressing Kise's wounds, asking repetitive questions concerning Kise's health to the healer. Mostly, Kise was fine with that. He had accepted that Aomine, against all odds, was actually worried about him, so his behaviour was quite understandable. What he hadn't expected was for Aomine to actually sleep with him when the night came. To make things worse, Aomine seemed to take Kise's hesitant participation in their kiss as a permission to touch him of sort. Kise couldn't even count how many times they had kissed now—and in the night, Aomine always took more than a kiss.

"You didn't seem to hate my touches, though," Aomine responded with a leer. He watched in amusement as Kise's face immediately blushed fetchingly. The sight brought a spike of lust straight to Aomine's manhood, but he pushed it down forcefully. While he admitted it was getting harder for him to stop himself from ravishing Kise, Aomine still would never break an agreement. Of course, just as Kise said, that didn't stop him from playing with the other's body.

"You truly don't have any shame," Kise hissed, crossing his arms on his chest. He glared hatefully at Aomine, but the red blush still adorning his face was making the glare quite ineffective. Against his own will, memories he would rather forget resurfaced. He could remember clearly how warm Aomine's lips had been against him. How slick and ticklish his tongue was when it made a wet trail down his neck and chest. Kise stopped the line of thought before it was getting out of his hand.

"Like I said, shame has no place here. Besides, you are my posession. It's only natural for me to play with you."

"Such childish words. It makes me wonder why so many people still want to follow you," Kise rolled his eyes.

Aomine's brows quirk, followed by the widening of his smirk. He put his broadsword away and moved from his seat. The mattress sunk under his weight when Aomine crawled up onto it, but Kise didn't back away. Aomine took note of the slight flinch and the hardening of Kise's jaw, but other than that, he still looked composed enough. Good, apparently they really were making progress. Mentally, Aomine reminded himself to tell Kuroko about that, since his childhood friend had been bugging him to be kinder to Kise for a while now.

Pulling his thoughts back to the gorgeous creature in front of him, Aomine couldn't help but to swipe his eyes along Kise's body length in appreciation. The tunic Kise wore was thin and with the help of the light trickling from the window, Aomine could see the pale skin underneath. The red marks from the previous whipping he got were still visible, but they were starting to heal. Kise's nipples were erect, perhaps due to the cold in the room or from the friction against his clothing's material, and the sight made Aomine's mouth water. He still could remember the taste of those delicious pink nubs and Kise's arousing response when he played with them. He had primarily intended to reply Kise's sarcastic comment, but the words died immediately, only to be replaced by the urge to bend down and strip Kise off of his clothing.

"I'd appreciate it if you would keep your eyes on my face when we're talking, Aomine." Kise said wryly. He had seen the desire clearly written in Aomine's face and he had no intention of letting the other man do as he pleased.

"I can do that," the easy response came without a halt as Aomine lifted his navy blue eyes up from Kise's chest area. He didn't mind the change of scenery much, considering Kise's face was really nice to look at. Aomine had been watching—observing—that face in every moment he could, but he would never be bored by it. He still personally liked Kise's face the most while he was blushing from arousal or when those topaz orbs burned with anger, but Aomine conceded that Kise's grumpy expression wasn't that bad either.

"Your face truly is too beautiful for a general. What a shame. I'm sure you will make lots of money if you work as a dancer or entertainer."

The sudden comment made Kise's brows rise. The annoyance in his eyes melted into grudging amusement. His lips quirked into a smile as he responded, "Too bad I'm better at killing people than entertaining them. Besides, where's the fun of dancing for others? The taste of blood is so much better."

A low growl rumbled in Aomine's chest. Along with Kise's words, an image had formed clearly in his mind. It was the image of Kise when he was standing on the battlefield, golden strands of hair wet with sweat and grime, eyes hard and glinting with the thrill of being surrounded by death, blood from the enemies dirtying his porcelain cheeks. Aomine remembered that for a second, all that he could do was watch. He was fascinated, to the point of almost captivated, when he saw Kise back then. It was the moment Aomine finally realized why Kise was known as the Valkyrie, because never had Aomine seen anyone else who could take life so beautifully like that. The image was what had attracted him. It was the first reason Aomine wanted to own Kise.

Now, that Valkyrie was sitting in front of him, captured like bird with clipped wings. Kise wouldn't be able to fly away from him, at least not without his permission, and the thought send a surge of lust through Aomine's body faster than anything else.

The darkening of his gaze was the only warning Kise got before Aomine crushed their lips together. It was not a gentle kiss and Aomine was forcing it as their lips clashed for a moment before he angled his face and then tongues met in a slick dance. Kise's muffled protest was ignored. The hands that were meant to push him away captured easily. Aomine didn't bother to worry himself with Kise's weak struggles, knowing it would cease soon—as it had always been lately.

Just as Aomine predicted, Kise was slowly relaxing in his hold. The blond's eyes were screwed shut and he didn't return Aomine's kiss, but he didn't fight when Aomine pushed him down onto the mattress. Kise was silent when Aomine broke their kiss and started to lick his way down instead. His hands gripped the sheet tightly when Aomine's teeth nibbled on his neck, leaving red marks all over the previously unblemished canvas.

The touches and carresses had become too familiar by now that Kise's body started to react even without his permission. Kise squirmed, hating the way blood rushed downward to pool at his manhood that always made him feel lightheaded. Logically, he knew it was only a natural reaction, but Kise still couldn't stop himself from being embarrassed by it.

"Stop it," Kise was close to whining even as his body screamed at him to stop struggling.

Aomine chuckled against Kise's neck, his hand slowly slid Kise's tunic up to expose his milky white skin. He ignored the shiver that ran through Kise's body when he was further exposed to the cold air in the room. "You should start listening to your body's desire more, Kise. It's far more honest than your lips."

If he was in any state to response, Kise would, but Aomine—the sly bastard—was grabbing at Kise's erected manhood just as he was finished with his words. His hand massaged the hardening flesh roughly, making Kise jerk and cry out weakly. The front of his trousers was becoming damp and Kise knew he wouldn't be able to hold back for much longer.

By now, Aomine could already tell the small, barely there signs that Kise gave whenever he was reaching his climax. First was the opening of his red lips as a gasp stumbled out of it. Then Kise would shut his eyes even tighter, as if the darkness behind his closed eyelids would justify his reaction. Kise's hands would grip anything closest to him desperately as he strained his neck, followed by the tautness of his body, a whimper escaping from his lips as his hot cum spurted into Aomine's hand—as if it was pulled painfully out of him.

The sight was always so fascinating that Aomine would forget to even blink. He might even forget to breathe for a moment as he milked Kise dry and watched as his body slowly succumbed into the boneless relaxation that always followed after climax. When's Kise's breathing had started to go back to normal, Aomine finally released Kise's softening member, ignoring the sticky fluids on his hand only to smear it on Kise's cheek. Perversely, Aomine thought the cum was befitting for Kise.

He bent down to give Kise an almost gentle kiss on the lips. His lips still brushed against Kise's as he whispered huskily, "Hurry up and try to kill me, Kise. Before I lose myself to the lust for you."

**xXXx**

Kise refused to even look at Aomine after that. Thankfully, Sakurai Ryou had come for his daily check-up not long after, saving Kise from the awkward silence that seemed to stick in the room. He cheerfully turned his attention towards the healer—whom Kise had befriended easily, since Sakurai was a lot better listener than Aomine and he was actually really sweet. He ignored Aomine, even going as far as pretending the Touou's prince wasn't in the room as he chattered away with Sakurai.

"I'm glad to see your wounds are healing nicely, Kise-_san_," Sakurai said with a sincere smile. He had just finished applying some ointment onto Kise's whip marks which had turned into the color of healing skin now. The infection on Kise's shoulder was already cleared too. All that was left was to wait for the wound to close completely. Sakurai was very satisfied with the result, considering the amount and severity of Kise's injuries.

"Yes, that's all thanks to you, Sakurai_cchi_!" Kise grinned brightly at Sakurai, tilting his head back to look at the other man better. He chuckled when Sakurai's cheeks tinted with faint red after that.

A ridiculous snort could be heard, but the smile on Kise's face didn't falter at the slightest. Sadly, while Kise had full intention to ignore Aomine, the same thing couldn't be said for Sakurai. The healer had this strange—and slightly annoying—habit to apologize whenever he was anxious and that one snort from Aomine managed to reduce Sakurai into a quivering mess of apology. Kise rolled his eyes, knowing there would be no chance to speak further with Sakurai now.

"So, how much longer until he could move without trouble, Ryou?"

"I'm sorry, Prince Aomine, for not being skillful enough to make him recover faster! I'm sorry, but Kise-_san_'s condition should return to normal by tomorrow. I'm really sorry for that!"

"Why are you apologizing?" Kise chuckled. "I'm glad for that, Sakurai_cchi_. I had expected to be incapable for a week, so three days recovery is more than appreciated."

"Will he be well enough to do hard exercise by then?" Aomine cut into what would be another cheerful chat between Kise and Sakurai. His eyes narrowed just the slightest at the sight of Kise's smile. Never had he received that kind of smile from Kise and it made him unexplainably angry.

Sakurai sighed. Sometimes, Aomine really was impatient. "I won't advise to it, my Prince, but … if the situation calls for it, yes. Kise-_san _will be well enough even to duel. Although, an intentional duel is certainly isn't allowed yet."

From the look Sakurai gave him, Aomine was sure a painful retribution awaited him if he actually dared to defy the healer's words. He wanted to roll his eyes, but speaking from experience, he knew Sakurai could be pretty cruel while enacting revenge. Coupled with the fact he could easily get access to any dangerous substance in the kingdom, it would be wise to obey the usually timid healer's orders.

"If it's not intentional, though?" Aomine certainly was not above pushing his limit.

For a minute, Sakurai's eyes seemed to narrow, but then he paled, as if he had just remembered whom he was glaring at. A stuttered apology escaped from his lips and he would have kneeled in front of Aomine if not for Kise's assurance that Aomine wouldn't be incensed by a small glare. The look in Aomine's eyes seemed to confirm Kise's words, since they were almost glinting with amusement. It was enough to bring Sakurai's mind back from his panicked state. The healer cleared his throat before answering, "If it's not intentional, I'm sure Kise-_san _will be able to fight and even win."

"Excellent," Aomine purred in satisfaction. "That's all I need to know. I'm sure you're done with your work, Ryou."

It was a dismissal and Sakurai knew it. He nodded before moving out of the bed, giving Kise a small smile, and bowing to Aomine. The healer closed the door behind him silently. He was not stupid. There were marks on Kise's body that didn't come from the whipping and, while he was mostly innocent, Sakurai could identify bite marks without even trying. He didn't know what exactly his prince was doing with Kise, but he surely didn't want to witness any of it.

Once the door was closed, leaving only the two of them again in the room, Aomine walked back towards his claimed throne—at least, that was how Kise liked to call the chair beside his bed which seemingly had been reserved for Aomine only. It was harder to ignore Aomine when he was the only companion Kise had and the blond hated silence almost as much as he hated loneliness. He glanced at Aomine, only to find the other was watching him silently. The constant gaze sent mixed feelings for Kise. On one hand, he was quite flattered by the attention Aomine gave to him, but on the other hand it also irked him.

"Please stop staring at me. You make me feel weird." Kise murmured without looking back at Aomine.

"But I like staring at you," Aomine answered bluntly, inwardly taking pleasure at the deepening scarlet on Kise's cheeks. "Besides, your face is the most interesting thing to be seen here."

"Yet you seem so eager to duel with me. If I didn't know better, I'd say you couldn't wait to see me dead."

"Being deceptively modest is unbecoming of you, Kise." Aomine rolled his eyes expressively. "It's not like I will be able to kill you that easily. Not even in a duel. Even I can admit that you have exceptional skill in swordplay and you haven't show me all that you can back in the battlefield, have you?"

Topaz eyes flashed to Aomine. The smile forming on Kise's face deceptively innocent as he drawled, "Why, who would ever guess Prince Aomine is actually thinking that high of me. I'm flattered, really, but what make you so sure about that? Perhaps I'd given you my all back then and it turned out that my skill is still inferior compared to yours."

"Or perhaps you just didn't have the chance to show me your true skill since Hanamiya interrupted us. Either way, I'm sure I will find out the truth in our next duel."

Kise's brows hit his hairline. He could clearly hear the excitement in Aomine's voice and it honestly intrigued him. "What makes you so fascinated in fighting?"

The question made Aomine blink and then scowl, as if he couldn't comprehend it. "Why do I need a reason for that? You are also a general. Surely you understand how I feel about fighting."

"I think I can honestly say that I don't understand. Although I can understand the excitement you get when you're exchanging lethal attacks with your opponents, but I've never seen the lure of fight that will make someone intentionally searching for it. A human's life is not a light thing. I can never feel truly happy after I take it."

"… How can a pacifist like you actually being Teikou's general?" Aomine asked in bafflement. "If you don't like to kill people, then why are you even joining in the battle? You are a hypocrite, Kise Ryouta, because I could tell you have no hesitation when you were slashing down my army."

"I was only doing what my king ordered me. He only wanted me to give him victory and I always aimed to fulfill his wish."

"So you turn into an obedient dog for Akashi, huh?" Aomine snorted. He didn't miss the way Kise's eyes narrowed when his king was mocked and it only made Aomine want to rile him more. "Would you lick his feet if he asked you to? Did you wag your tail happily when you saw him coming for you? I wonder what kind of training he gave to tame a wild dog like you. Did he train your body every night just like me?"

"My king will never do something as vile as that!" Kise growled, glaring up at Aomine. His fists were tightly drawn, bunching the sheet beneath them. He felt hot with anger and his stomach turned at the thought of being touched like_ that _by Akashi—his half-brother.

Aomine laughed cruelly. His smirk was sinister as he purred, "You can't be so sure about that, Kise. After all, wasn't the previous Teikou's king well-known for his amorous adventure? Since Akashi is his son, perhaps that lust was passed down to him too."

Red bled into Kise's mind then. He roared and the next thing he knew he was already tackling Aomine onto the floor. Kise couldn't even think straight. All that he wanted to do was to punish the insolent bastard who had dared to mock his king—his savior—like that. Kise's hands wrapped tightly around Aomine's neck, increasing pressure with each passing second as if he could really crushed Aomine's throat with it. Kise's body rested a top of Aomine, trying to hold him down.

Aomine gasped at the unexpected attack, but then his body shook with violent laughter. "I'll take this … as your first attempt." He murmured with ragged breaths before lifting his fist to hit Kise hard on the temple. He intentionally aimed near Kise's ear, knowing it would unbalance the other.

The hit managed to make Kise wobble, his grip loosened and that was all Aomine needed to reverse their position. Kise couldn't even focus when Aomine pushed him face down on the floor, his ear still ringing painfully. He then felt warm breath on his neck, followed by the slick feeling of tongue lapping at the skin. Kise grunted as he tried to struggle, but Aomine was twisting both of his arms painfully on his back. One wrong move and Kise would have easily broken a bone.

"Bastard! I will kill you for your words, Aomine! Let go of me, you scum!"

"You seem to forget our agreement, Kise," Aomine roughly jerked Kise's head up, fingers twisting and digging painfully into the golden strands. He ignored Kise's pained hiss as he continued, "You have failed in your attempt to kill me. Now, let me collect my reward."

Kise wasn't given any chance to answer before his body was thrown onto the mattress. He wasn't even given a second to catch his breath before Aomine brutally attacked his lips with a kiss. Kise gasped, but it only made Aomine slip his tongue into the other's warm orifice, exploring every inch of it like he was trying to mark a new territory. Aomine's hands were not idle. He hastily pulled off one of his belt to secure Kise's wrists with it. Once he was sure the blond wouldn't be able to push him away, Aomine's lips continued to travel downwards, peppering kisses and bite marks all over Kise's pale neck. He went lower, only to growl impatiently when his desire was hindered by Kise's clothing.

Impatiently he took out his dagger to slice at the tunic. Once the offensive piece of clothing was gone, Aomine carelessly threw the dagger onto the floor, his attention once again focused on Kise's body which was spread beneath him. Kise's nipples became Aomine's main target as he licked, sucked, nibbled and bit at it, making Kise squirmed and unable to hold back the moans out of his lips. One particular hard bite just above his left nipple made Kise's body jerked. The stinging pain quickly turned into liquid fire of pleasure as Aomine sucked at the blood that flowed out.

Still not getting enough, Aomine lifted his head only long enough for him to yank Kise's trousers and undergarments off. The blond shivered as the cold air attacked his nude body and he instinctually crossed his legs together. Sadly, Aomine was having none of it as he forced his fingers between Kise's thighs and pried his legs apart. A low growl of pleasure immediately rumbling through his chest as he found that Kise was already half-hard.

Aomine straightened up to gaze fully on Kise's gorgeous body. He had to admit, Kise truly was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Kise was slender, with just enough of a curve to his hips, but with obvious muscles that made him all the more captivating. The fine hair on his body was golden and so faint they were almost invisible. His pale cream colored skin flushed a lovely peach now that humiliation and desire were slowly taking over his body. His legs were long and as slender as the rest of him, though solidly built. Truly, with this kind of feast spread in front of him, there was no chance for Aomine to take things slowly.

"You are gorgeous," Aomine whispered, almost unconsciously, as his fingers trailed slowly from Kise's thigh and to the coarse blond hair between his legs. Aomine watched, fascinated, when pearl of pre-cum started to appear on the tip of Kise's manhood. He breathed out once again, "truly gorgeous."

Kise could feel bubbles of hysterical laughter gathered on the back of his throat. He shook his head violently, all the while chanting, "No, no. Stop it. Don't," which fell on deaf ears. He couldn't close his eyes, because darkness only made his other senses hyperaware and right now, when each stroke of Aomine's hand on his manhood sent jolt of pleasurable shock through his body, it was the last thing Kise wanted. Still, it was a struggle to keep his eyes open, because then he could see Aomine's expression and—God, how could one who had no qualm to take Kise out of his will have such a fond look on his face?

As if he could read Kise's mind, Aomine bowed down to bestow a kiss to Kise's lips. A kiss so gentle it forced a broken sob out of Kise once Aomine pulled away. There was nothing worse than gentleness in the middle of a heartless attack, but Aomine didn't have any intention to stop. It was as if he was addicted to Kise's lips, because he kept on kissing the blond again and again, building up the heat between them with each kiss. Kise could do nothing but to whimper into the kiss. He felt weird, his body burned and his mind clouded with dazing pleasure. A sublime cry elicited from Kise's throat when Aomine's hand started to pump his erected manhood. Kise's body jerked involuntarily as he started to succumb to his own desire.

It was only two days, but already Aomine was able to make him sing like he was a fine tuned instrument with each slide of his fist, with the flick to his erection's head and with each caress on the underside veins. Kise's body responded to all of that very honestly, hips jerking to follow Aomine's hands movement, breaths going shallow as he panted from pleasure. Kise could feel the cold sensation of drool trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he no longer cared about appearance. All that he wanted now was to get that peak that would send white hot pleasure bursting out of his body.

"A-a-aah!" His moans were getting more frequent. Kise pulled at his restraints and he fairly screamed when his orgasm finally hit, making his body spasm as hot cum spurted out of him.

All the while, Aomine's dark eyes were watching intently. He was not ashamed to admit that he was moaning along when Kise was reaching his climax. The sight presented for him was just too lascivious that he was almost cum from it. Unable to hold back anymore, Aomine made short work on discarding his trousers and undergarments before lifting Kise's legs up high. The blond was still lost in the intensity of his orgasm that he didn't even flinch when Aomine slipped the first cum coated finger into his body. It was Aomine who moaned this time. Kise's body was so tight, even with only one finger it was already clinging very tightly. He could only imagine how tight and hot it would be when he was finally sheathed in. Fuelled with that thought, Aomine took little time to prepare Kise before positioning himself in front of Kise's hole. He didn't give Kise any warning before he forcefully joined their body together.

Kise screamed, his body jerking violently in pain as Aomine slid home with just the barest of preparation. Aomine was big and it almost felt like he was being pierced with hot spear. Kise felt the tears once again gathering in his eyes and he sobbed as his head twisted restlessly from the pain. All memory of the mind blowing pleasure Aomine had just given him was instantly buried under the waves of pain shooting up his spine. Aomine was ruthless. He immediately began thrusting in and out of Kise's body, gaining speed and simultaneously worsening Kise's hurts.

"N-no. P-pull it out! Pull it out, please! It h-h-hurts! It burns!" Kise gasped. His body twisting, trying to get away from the source of his pain, but the grip Aomine had on his hips were merciless.

Aomine was beyond hearing reasons. His world was thinning into the tightness of Kise's body around his erection. He growled low, not slowing down in the slightest, as he kept on thrusting into Kise's body. He could feel his own peak of pleasure coming close and it made his movement even more frantic. Sweat made Kise's skin slick and glistened. Aomine grunted before turning his head to bite at the inside of Kise's thigh. The slight change of angle made Kise shouted in surprise, his body suddenly jerking not from pain, but from pleasure so intense it almost blinded him. Inwardly, Aomine grinned. Apparently he had finally found Kise's spot.

Kise certainly hadn't expected for blood to fill his manhood once again, but that was exactly what happened. There was something different with Aomine's thrusts now—something Kise could neither explain nor describe, but it was pleasurable. It made Kise's mind seemingly wiped off in white for a moment and the pleasure was constantly building up, pulling Kise in like a vortex, until finally it felt as if some wave had crashed inside of him and overwhelmed every part of him once again.

Aomine let out a guttural groan as Kise's inside constricted around him when the blond reached his second climax. After that, it didn't take more than two sharp thrusts of his hips for Aomine to follow, pouring his own hot cum into Kise's body. He pulled out a bit, crushing Kise slightly although his arms helped to keep the weight off of the other. Aomine's half lidded eyes were gazing at Kise's tear-stained face. The sight left a pang of regret in Aomine's heart, but he was too sated to care much about it now. He opted to drop his body beside Kise instead and gathered his beautiful spoil of war into his arms. He ignored the way Kise's body was shaking slightly in his hold as he kissed Kise's sweaty temple.

"Mine. You are mine now, Kise, and you will be mine forever." Aomine whispered into Kise's damp skin.

There was no response coming from Kise. He was too tired, both physically and mentally, to play along with Aomine's game. He chose to close his eyes instead, exhaustion greedily grabbing at him almost immediately. Before Kise knew it, he was already falling into his dream—still secured and warm in Aomine's arms.

**xXXx**

Heterochromatic eyes opened and stared out into the darkness. It was unusual for Akashi to be startled awake by his vision, but what he had seen … it was very disturbing. The young sovereign sighed heavily and sat up on the bed prepared for him. He was sweating and panting. Akashi would have laughed to himself if only he wasn't still so shaken. It had been a very long time since the last time a vision could affect him this badly.

Slight movement from beside him made Akashi tense instinctually. A sleepy grumble could be heard after and the familiar voice melted the tenseness in Akashi's body. He didn't fight when arms wrapped around his middle before he was pulled gently into a warm hug. Akashi was grateful for the darkness that still surrounded the room for it made him feel safe to show his feelings—to rest his own hands a top the bigger ones and melted further into the comforting warmth.

"Did you have a nightmare, Aka-_chin_?" Murasakibara's sleep-laden voice caressed Akashi's ears.

"… No, just a vision." Akashi answered in a whisper, almost unwanted to break the peaceful silence of the night. His fingers gently caressed Murasakibara's hands above him, unconsciously searching comfort.

"Was it a bad vision?"

"I don't know for sure, Atsushi. It was … unpleasant, but not particularly bad. It's like a premonition that things are going to change."

Murasakibara hummed before moving them into a more pleasant position with him spooning Akashi from behind. He kissed the back of Akashi's neck adoringly before speaking up once more, "Did Kise-_chin _appear in your vision?"

"Yes,"

"Was he hurt? Did you see our enemy hurting Kise-_chin_?"

The answer came after a significant halt this time, "I can't tell for certain. Ryouta did seem pained at one point of time, but then … I'm not sure."

Murasakibara lifted a brow. "This is the first time Aka-_chin _is not sure with his vision," he commented idly. "Do you feel this will change the situation for the worse?"

"I can't tell," Akashi shook his head sadly. "It made everything seems fuzzy, as if suddenly all paths of possibilities are opened and I still don't know which one will actually happen. I don't like this, Atsushi."

"But Aka-_chin _is always right," Murasakibara drawled. "and he will always be right. You have me, Aka-_chin_. Together, we will change the course of fate until it walks along the path you desired. Wasn't that what you want from me? To help you controlling fate, instead of letting it controls you. I've pledged myself to fulfill your selfish wish, Aka-_chin_, and I have no intention of going back against my words."

Silence answered Murasakibara's confession before Akashi chuckled. "You truly are precious, Atsushi," the king whispered before turning around so that he would be able to face Murasakibara. Akashi gently reached out to cup the other man's cheek before straining his body to land a soft kiss on Murasakibara's lips. "Let's wait until fate has chosen its path, Atsushi. Let's wait and if it truly goes against my plan … together we will change it."

"As you wish, Aka-_chin_."

* * *

**To be Continued …**

* * *

_A/N: So, there you have it, the much awaited M-scene. I admit that I'm still practicing my skill on scenes like that, but I hope it can satisfy you guys enough. Thank you for reading. :)  
_


	13. Dreams

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 13 — Dreams**

** Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story information.**

**A/N: **_... Umm, yes so apparently I'm still alive. Sorry for disappearing all of the sudden. I don't know if there are still people who remember this story since it's been ... forever since the last update. Thank you for you all who have given me support for the past few months. I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply any of the messages or reviews._

_This chapter ... well, it's been months since I last write, so I'm not quite sure about the quality. Also, it focuses on the way Kise's slowly bonding with the Touou people, and unfortunately Aomine won't appear here. This chapter is quite light, but essential for the story's plot, so I hope you all still can enjoy it. Enough of my rambling._

**Warning: **self-edited. I will post the beta-ed version later on.

**Edited (02/06/2013): **This is the beta-ed version. Thanks as always to my dearest beta **Manzzeii.**

* * *

Dreams. Images brought by our subconscious as we slept. Most dreams wouldn't mean a thing and would just leave vague recollection afterwards, but at some rare moments, dreams would show us different images—fragments of what could have been our future and, more frequently, our memories. Being around a seer had made Kise realize the importance of dreams. Thus, he always tried his best to remember each image that his dreams show. It was not an easy task. Most of the time, what details he had about the dream would still slip away from his memory, but it was always easier to recall his dream when it showed his past memories—just like now.

Kise had never liked change much. It was something that had always been terrifying for him. He remember the day he first got out of his cell, the wonder filling his whole body as he stood under the big, open blue sky with mouth hanging open. Being under the vast blue sky, Kise had felt so small—so vulnerable. The happiness he once felt for his freedom turned into fright within few heartbeats. He had stuck very closely to Akashi afterwards, trailing after the young king like a lost puppy. That one change brought many unknown things to Kise and just like common people, the first reaction Kise had for the unknown was fear. The outside world was bigger than what Kise had expected. There were people everywhere he went and since Kise had never been treated kindly by anyone except for his mother and Akashi, it made him wary of others.

To Kise's relief, Akashi had never once pushed him away. Not when the kingdom council frowned upon the filthy prisoner as he was presented to them and not even when Kise silently sneaked into Akashi's room to sleep with him in the middle of the night. For weeks, Akashi kept Kise away from the crowds, allowing him a chance to get use to the world around him while slowly educating the former prisoner how to write and read. After a while, the king even taught him the basic of swordplay himself. When it turned out that Kise was a fast learner, Akashi had seemed very pleased. He showered Kise with praises and under Akashi's considerate care, Kise was slowly returning to his usual cheerful self.

His first meeting with the other princes, Kagami and Himuro, happened after that. It was a meeting Kise would always remember. He had known that they were his half-brothers from Akashi and both Kagami and Himuro had also been informed about his true identity. Kise had been anxious to meet with his other siblings and apparently Kagami also felt the same way. The fiery prince had been so awkwardly formal, refusing to meet with Kise's eyes and making the general atmosphere uncomfortable. Thankfully, Himuro was a natural charmer and he easily dispelled the tension with his beatific smile and assuring words.

The two princes became his constant companions once Akashi deemed Kise was capable to be left on his own device. He and Kagami often sparred together, while Himuro preferred to wait until they were finished while reading a book. Since then, Kise had become close with Kagami, although he would always return to Akashi's side whenever the king had the time out of his study. He would always talk about his day to the young king at night, lounging on Akashi's bed while the other listened avidly with a small, secret smile on his face.

Kise's skill in swordplay was improving in rapid pace. Akashi noticed this and decided to assign Haizaki Shougo as Kise's mentor. It was then Kise realized that Akashi expected more of him—that Akashi was grooming him to be a commandant general by himself.

"You have the potential to be the best, Ryouta," Akashi's eyes glinted sharply as he explained himself to the surprised blond. "Not all people is blessed with the skill you have. If polished, that skill can be a dangerous weapon which will protect our kingdom. However, to achieve that, you shouldn't be so honest. You need to learn to mask your feelings or else you will lose the people you care about before you even know it."

Kise certainly didn't want that to happen. "What should I do then?"

Akashi's lips curled into a slow smirk. "Just keep smiling, Ryouta. Even in front of your most hated enemy, don't forget to smile."

The enigmatic answer made Kise frown. Smiling was something he could do almost naturally in any kind of situation, so he really didn't understand how it could turn out to be a tool to save his life. "Why should I smile in front of my enemy? Wouldn't that make them underestimate me?"

"Ah, but that's exactly the result you'd want to achieve." Akashi chuckled slightly. "Remember, Ryouta, people are easily fooled by outer appearance and there's nothing better than for your enemy to underestimate you. After all, striking at a defenseless back has always been easier than facing your enemy head-on."

**xXXx**

Kise was dragged into consciousness ever so slowly. It was as if the dream he had about Akashi was unwilling to let him go, longing to entangle him in the spidery web of bitter-sweet memory instead. However, that web was broken as faint noises of people whispering disturbed Kise from his sleep. His eyes fluttering open, the first thing Kise saw was the red-faced Sakurai as the healer stood awkwardly on the bed's side. He seemed quite unsure where to look at, as his eyes kept darting away from Kise's form.

Groggily, Kise rubbed his eyes. His mind was still in a state of disorientation from what he had seen in his dream. It took him a little later than usual to focus his gaze, but then a disarming smile curved Kise's lips. He turned to his side, still unwilling to leave the comfort of the warm mattress, as he greeted the healer, "Sakurai_cchi_? Morning."

At the greeting, the faint red flush on Sakurai's face turned even deeper. He fidgeted on the balls of his feet, his eyes looking everywhere but at Kise. "G-g-good morning, Kise-_san_. I'm sorry, but—uh, umm...," Sakurai couldn't even finish his words. He was sweating profusely, casting his eyes down at the end and looking like he was hoping the ground would swallow him whole.

Kise lifted a questioning brow at Sakurai's unusual response. He sat up on the bed and leaned forward so he would be able to look at Sakurai's face. In return, Sakurai hastily took a step back, almost tripping on his own feet in his haste. Kise's lifted brows turned into a frown. "What seems to be the problem, Sakurai_cchi_?" he asked in complete puzzlement.

"Do pardon him. Young Ryou here is just unused to seeing people naked, despite his profession. Although, I'd say it's such a shame. For a spoil of war, you have a really nice body." A foreign, female voice answered Kise's question since it was obvious Sakurai was still too flustered to form any words. The voice was heavily tinged with amusement, although it was not derisive. Kise could only blink as he turned his head around to gaze at Sakurai's companion. Standing few feet away from the bed's end was a woman with long, pale pink hair which was arranged in complicated braids decorated with gleaming pearls. She wore a silky tunic dress with bell-like sleeves that hugged her body in much complimentary manners. Just from one look, Kise knew she was someone of high status.

The woman's smile curled even wider when she noticed Kise's assessing eyes on her. She then tilted her head slightly aside while scanning her eyes along the length of Kise's form, as if returning the favor. "I think it will be wise for you to cover your body more. I have no particular complaints, but I don't think poor Ryou will be able to finish his job if you keep flaunting your body like that."

Once his sluggish mind managed to comprehend the lady's words, the color of Kise's face could rival that of Sakurai's. With a small yelp, he dragged the animal skin which was thrown carelessly on the bed to cover his body. He couldn't believe Aomine had left him like that! The prince didn't even have the courtesy to at least cover Kise's private parts before he left this morning. How rude. The embarrassment Kise felt only intensified when the lady once again giggled at his reaction. He cursed Aomine under his breath, before taking few deep breaths to return the color of his face to normal. His only salvation was that Sakurai was still blushing deep scarlet too. At least he wasn't the only one embarrassed here.

"I apologize for that small accident," Kise tried to not let any of his embarrassment seeped into his voice. "I must say I didn't expect to get a visit from a lady this morning. Though, I don't believe we have ever met before."

"And you will be correct. I am Momoi Satsuki, the advisor of Touou. It's a pleasure to actually meet with you, Kise Ryouta-_san_."

Kise kept his pleasant smile on his face. "I'm honored you even know of me, My Lady."

"But of course! You are quite famous. After all, Prince Aomine had never taken any spoil of war beforehand. It makes people talk about you as if you were an exotic animal."

Being compared to an animal wasn't really flattering for Kise. Even more so when the word could also imply that he would be able to be tamed sooner or later. He kept this unfavorable thought within his mind though, as he remembered what Akashi had said to him in his dream. It would be better to make the enemy underestimate you—or thinking that you were docile. It was easier to strike someone who didn't put their guard up. With this in mind, Kise managed to curl his lips into a grin, his eyes crinkling around the corner as if he truly was amused by the rumor that had been spreading around about him.

"An exotic animal. I wonder if that really is what Aomine thinks of me." He allowed the grin to turn just a little bit sharper as he saw Momoi's own grin faltered when she heard him addressing Aomine without his proper title. Not wanting to spoil the light atmosphere so soon, he then turned towards Sakurai who had been preparing the herbal ointment and draughts as per usual. "When do you think I will be allowed to walk around, Sakurai_cchi_? Being confined in a bed isn't particularly thrilling."

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience!" Sakurai said almost immediately, his face stricken with panic as if it was his fault for not being skillful enough to heal Kise within a day time. Although, whoever had seen the wounds previously battering the blond's body would have admitted Sakurai's work was really exceptional. "I will redress your wounds today and if there is no complication arises, I will say you've fully recovered."

"Excellent!" Momoi clasped her hands in delight. "I won't feel too guilty for kidnapping you today then!"

"It'll be an honor to be kidnapped by such a fine lady as you are, although … I don't think Aomine will ever let me setting a foot out of this room."

"Prince Aomine can be quite possessive at times, indeed. However, he is not here at the moment, is he? Besides, I'm quite sure you've had enough of this small room. While the decoration might not be so bad, it's still nothing compared to the outside world. Of course, if you still want to rest, I can perfectly understand."

Momoi's voice was gentle and full of sincerity. From the way she talked about Aomine, Kise could gather they were close. How someone as gentle and kind as Momoi could ever be friends with the barbaric Aomine was something Kise couldn't quite understand. The offer Momoi gave to him was tempting, even more so since he knew she didn't expect anything in return for his temporary freedom. Momoi didn't look at him like he was someone she ought to be cautious about. Instead, she was looking at him with amused eyes that seemed to glitter with some knowledge only she was privileged to have.

"I think it's a good idea, Kise-_san_," Sakurai spoke up without pausing on his work, redressing Kise's wounds with the speed of someone who had been doing it for the most of his life. He blushed slightly when both Kise and Momoi's attention turned to him, Momoi with a big smile on her face and Kise with a rather amused expression. Their gazes made Sakurai's hands faltered for a moment, his head bowed low to avoid their eyes. "I-I'm sorry for speaking out of my turn! B-but I do think your body needs to exercise a little bit. Your muscles will become weak if they are not used for too long."

Sakurai didn't lift his head even once as he murmured. He was focusing his attention to his work, although Kise knew the healer would still be able to redress his wounds perfectly even with his eyes closed. Kise had always thought Sakurai was amusing. He had never met someone as timid as Sakurai before, but Kise knew he still couldn't underestimate the healer. It was just like what Akashi had said: people could be fooled easily with appearances. Besides, Kise had seen a glimpse of fierceness behind Sakurai's timid act. He knew, when push came to shove, Sakurai would be able to hold his ground without much problem.

Kise was silent while he indulged himself in that musing. The longer the silence stretched on, the more uncomfortable Sakurai became. He fidgeted once he had finished redressing Kise's wounds and timidly lifted up his face—only to blink in surprise when he saw Kise grinning at him.

Once he was sure he had Sakurai's attention, Kise finally spoke up, "If that is an order from my healer, the only thing I can do is to obey." He then turned around to face Momoi. "Looks like I'll be in your care for today, My Lady."

"Indeed, but worry not, I can assure you I'm quite capable at showing the most interesting spots in the castle. Your time won't be wasted needlessly." Momoi responded in equally jesting tone. She wasn't a fool. She knew that she should still be cautious of Kise—someone who undoubtedly still hold a grudge against her kingdom—but deep down, Momoi truly wanted to get close with the blond general. She wanted to know Kise better and perhaps then she would be able to finally find out the reason why Aomine was so interested in him.

**xXXx**

When he was first brought into the castle, Kise hadn't had the chance to take a proper look around his surroundings as his mind was still too busy worrying about Kagami. After that, even if he wanted to, he was unable to even take a step outside his room, courtesy of his injuries and also Aomine's persistence to lock him up. Thus, he was actually quite excited when Momoi invited him to join her in her walk. Kise had always been curios about things he hadn't seen before and this time it was no different. Touou was not that different from Teikou in regards to its culture, but Kise noticed the different style of which the people were dressed and how most of the soldiers was speaking in foreign accent. There was a large amount of people going in and out of the castle, which made the situation inside the castle much livelier than what Kise was used to back in Teikou.

"I've never expected to see so many people inside the castle. Is this common occurrence here?" Kise couldn't help asking Momoi as they walked to another part of the castle which seemed to be even more bustling with people.

"No. Well, we're currently heading towards the kitchen, so to see people bustling about around here is quite normal, but usually we aren't this busy."

"I see," Kise hummed idly. "Will there be some kind of event taking place in near future then? A celebration, maybe?"

Momoi didn't answer Kise's question. She just offered a smile in return. They walked in silence for a moment longer before finally they arrived in front of a wooden door. Faint noises of clattering and people chatting could be heard through the door. Momoi's smile widened as she exclaimed, "Here we are!"

The slight change of attitude wasn't missed by Kise, but he opted to keep quiet about it. Once Momoi opened the door, a waft of delicious scent hit Kise's nose, followed by the loud commotion caused by soldiers who were taking refuge from their jobs there. Momoi entered the room with slight bounce on her steps. Kise followed in much leisure manner. He took a chance to look around his surroundings out of habit, but as he expected, the kitchen wasn't that different with the one he was familiar with back in Teikou.

"I told you all this isn't place to skip work! We don't have time for that, so get outta—Lady Momoi?!" One of the maids had started to rant when she heard the sound of a door opening, ready to shoo unwanted guests away by violence, if needed. The rant immediately changed into surprised gasp once she finally turned around and took a good look at the new visitors. The spatula on her hand was still raised threateningly even as red slowly crept up her cheeks. The soldiers inside the room stopped chatting immediately, standing up to show they respect and offering a small bow towards Momoi instead.

"Still as strict as ever, Riko-_chan_?" The corner of Momoi's eyes crinkled in amusement as she saw the maid—Riko—lowered her hand slowly.

Riko huffed, crossing her arms on her chest before casting a glower towards the bunch of soldiers in the room. "Aye, because I have to, M'Lady. If I don't, these peasants will never know what's good for 'em. They need to understand food isn't free. They've been slacking off all too often lately."

"Ain't nothing we can do about it! We ain't slacking off, there's just ain't a job to do lately." One of the soldiers protested from his seat, only to cower behind another soldier when Riko shot him a murderous look.

"There's always gates to be guarded, people to be looked after and routes to be watched! Don't give me any lies about having nothing to do, you useless soldier!"

"It ain't lie! Those aren't our job and you know it well, Riko! Prince Aomine hadn't given us any orders lately, so we really got nothing to do!"

"Still ain't an excuse to come here just to get free foods!" The spatula was once again held high, but this time it was quick to be brought down again, hitting the whining soldier's straight on his forehead. The other soldiers winced sympathetically, but they didn't try to stop Riko as she repeatedly hit the poor soldier with her all-mighty spatula. They all knew how dangerous Riko's wrath was and as soldiers, they all valued their lives highly.

Momoi giggled as she watched the familiar scene in front of her. Riko had always been harsh on the soldiers—especially those who were part of Aomine's—but deep inside, she knew the maid genuinely cared about them. It was to be expected though, considering most of them had come from the same kingdom.

The smile on Momoi's face softened. She was born and raised in Touou, so she hadn't even once questioned the way the king ruled the land. She had seen war ever since she was little. Kingdoms conquered and sometimes destroyed completely, people crying as their family or home was stolen from them. Momoi always thought those things were normal, but as she grew up, she learned that the almost constant cycle of sadness and violence only happened in her kingdom. That made her sad, but there wasn't anything she could do to change it. So in her attempt to redeem herself, she took an effort to get to know the maids and soldiers, people who were taken away from their homes, and tried to understand their pain by a little.

Touou wasn't exactly the ideal place to live in, but it was Momoi's home. She knew that despite all the bad things happening, there were still good things that would make everything better here. So she reckoned that if she couldn't change the situation, the least she could do was to help people look at those things together with her.

"Are you sure it's alright to let her beat him up?"

"It's fine. Riko-_chan_ always acts like that and Koganei-_kun _certainly is used to it. Come and sit with us, Kise-_san_!"

Before he had any chance to respond, Momoi had gently pulled at his hand, leading him towards the long, wooden table on which various foods were served. The foods were not extravagant, but the scent drifting from them was enough to make Kise's mouth water. How long had it been since he had a decent meal? Mentally shaking himself from that thought, Kise silently obeyed to Momoi's subtle urge and sat beside her. Across from him was a soldier who towered the others even when he was sitting. The soldier had a warm smile on his face as he looked at Riko. Next to him, another soldier heaved a long-suffering sigh. He shook his head while muttering, "Why can't he just learn to shut his mouth?" under his breath.

Kise felt slightly out of place. He didn't know these people. It was obvious they all were really close with each other and that fact only made him feel even more foreign. Unable to help it, Kise fidgeted slightly in his seat.

His movement caught the attention of the soldier across from him. "Oh, Lady Momoi brought a friend along! I didn't realize that. Sorry for the ruckus and violence. We usually can act more mature than that, trust me."

"Ah, I'm not particularly bothered by it. You all seem so friendly. It's nice." Kise offered an awkward smile towards the soldier.

"Ha ha ha! I'm glad if you see it that way! I don't believe we've been introduced before. I'm Kiyoshi Teppei, and you are…?"

"Are you an idiot?! He's Kagami's commandant general, the reason we sneaked into the presentation few days ago! I can't believe how bad your memory is at times!" The soldier beside Kiyoshi said in a tone filled with disbelief and slight irritation.

"Oh, that's him?" The one called Kiyoshi blinked innocently, unfazed by his friend's irate words. "So you must be … Kise Ryouta. It's nice to finally meet you!"

"You know Kagami_cchi_?" Kise asked in astonishment. Now that he had taken a better look at Kiyoshi, he seemed quite familiar. Racking his memories deeper, Kise realized he had first seen Kiyoshi back when they were going to leave the makeshift camp. He was the one who kept watch of Kagami. Once he remembered that, Kise continued without waiting an answer, "I haven't seen Kagami_cchi_ since I woke up. Is he alright? Where is he now?"

"Hm, Kagami? The last time I saw him, he was training Kuroko-_sama_. Have you seen him since, Hyuuga?"

"Nay. That was the last time I saw him today, too. I'm quite sure they will be back soon, though."

"Ah, that's right. If you can stay here for a moment longer, you may be able to meet with him!"

Those words made Kise's eyes widen. The opportunity to meet Kagami without Aomine around seemed too good to be true, but already his chest tightened with pleasant anticipation. He had never thought he would be able to meet Kagami again so soon—especially since Aomine was so adamant at getting Kagami away from him. He turned to face Momoi, eyes still wide in astonishment as realization dawned onto him: Momoi had known Kagami would come here. She was taking him into the kitchen on purpose.

As if reading his thought, Momoi just gave Kise a playful wink. "I just thought a new situation will be good for you. Since we're already here, why don't we eat something? I'm sure you're hungry."

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to eat here, Lady Momoi. Someone of high status such as you are shouldn't even join with us or the soldiers." Riko, who had finally stopped beating Koganei for a while ago, said with a frown.

"Riko-_chan_, I'm just having a meal with friends. There's nothing wrong with that."

The frown on Riko's face deepened. From her expression, it was obvious that she disagreed with Momoi's words. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but Momoi just calmly stared at her with a pleasant smile on her face and eventually, Riko gave up with a heavy sigh. She knew how stubborn Momoi could be. Trying to make the pink haired girl change what she had decided on was almost impossible.

"If you insist. I don't want to fatten up these boys anymore, actually, but we have some leftover breads and soup, anyway. You can take them."

Cheers immediately erupted from the soldiers. With an explicit permission from Riko, it didn't take long for them to help themselves with the breads or the soup. Kiyoshi moved out of the chair to get them some drinks while Hyuuga went to help Riko serving some more food. Soon, the chatter inside the room quietened down as they enjoyed their small meal.

Kise was enjoying himself. After being confined inside the room for days with nobody but Aomine and sometimes Sakurai to keep him company, being around so many friendly people was a welcomed change. He had always prefer to mingle with crowds than being alone.

It didn't take long until all the leftover foods were consumed, which was not surprising seeing how most of them were men who had large appetite. There was momentary silence once everyone was full, but the warmth and light atmosphere still lingered in the room. The silence was so comfortable that one soldier yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Kise chuckled lightly. He knew sleepiness would always follow after full stomach. Wanting to return the liveliness from before, he then decided to speak up,

"I see you're quite busy today and Lady Momoi had told me that this isn't a usual occurrence. Unfortunately, she decided to keep me in suspense and refuse to tell me what's going on. Do you think you can tell me instead, Riko? I'd always loved celebration, after all."

"A celebration? I ain't know nothing about celebration."

"Oh? But you look busy preparing the palace for something grand. I'd thought—"

"It's not for celebration," Momoi cut in smoothly. Her pink orbs calmly glanced at Kise and caught his topaz orbs. Her face was slightly red from the alcohol she had imbibed, but the gaze she fixed upon Kise was sharp. A pleasant smile formed on her face as she answered, "Some important guests are going to visit Touou in near future. That's why we need to make sure the palace is adequate enough for them. That is all, Kise-_san_."

"Important guests?" Kise repeated in questioning tone.

"Yes, the Kaijou royal members. This castle is unfit to welcome a king as it is and we need to fix that. After all, we can't afford to offend the king of our possible ally now, can we?"

* * *

**To Be Continued …**


	14. Siblings

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 14 — Siblings**

** Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story information.**

**A/N: **_I love you guys, really. 302 reviews. This is just ... amazing. Thank you for the supports. I really appreciate it. I hope I won't disappoint any of you with this story. So here's another update. This one is quite long and it has some AoKise interactions. I'm glad I can update within few weeks time, but I can't promise the next update will come as fast. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think in a review! *winks***  
**_

_Thank you for mikan, guest, Anonimous, guest, revieww, vee, MonMon and guest for the reviews! I really appreciate every one of them._

_Special thanks for **Manzzeii** __for the perfect, fast work in proofreading this chapter and the previous one for me. My beta is just so amazing, I kid you not. Anyway, happy reading! 8D_

* * *

Siblings. Aomine wondered if he had ever known the true meaning of that word. He was familiar with the term, but when he tried to apply the word to the relationship he had with Imayoshi, it sounded … wrong. Although many people had referred them as that—siblings—based on the same blood that ran in their veins, but the word seemed superficial. Aomine had never once thought of Imayoshi as his brother, despite the blatant fact they had same parents and that Imayoshi was born two years before him. He had no love for his so-called brother and he was almost sure Imayoshi saw him in the same regards. It was to be expected though, because ever since they could remember, they had always been trained to be rivals—to be someone fitting to inherit the throne.

As time went by and they both grew up, those feeling of rivalry only intensified, along with the obvious difference in their battling skill. Aomine's skill in swordplay and hand-in-hand combat far exceeded Imayoshi—of this everyone agreed—but Imayoshi was far more intelligent. He excelled in war strategies and he didn't have any hesitation to do dirty tricks at times. Their competition was going on stalemate. For a while, their rivalry shimmered down and it almost felt like they really were brothers. It all changed once their father passed away. With an empty throne, the almost forgotten rivalry between the siblings was brought up once again—and it got even worse.

Aomine had never been interested in the king position. For someone like him, having the responsibility to look after the people in his kingdom was just too bothersome. However, he also never had the intention to refuse the throne, if it was given to him. Imayoshi was the complete opposite. He had set his eyes on the king position even far before their father passed away. He was determined to be the king and he would do anything to achieve that wish. Knowing he would never be able to win against Aomine in fair fight, Imayoshi had often staged fatal accidents for his brother. Thankfully, Aomine had managed to survive those. The attacks never really bothered Aomine, but when the attack on their mother happened, Aomine had had enough with the silly, violent rivalry they had. He had given up on the throne, along with any relationship he had with the Imayoshi family.

Now, as he walked towards the throne room, Aomine barely felt anything except irritation. He would gladly ignore Imayoshi's call for as long as he could, but his excuses were running thin. Hanamiya had personally came to get him this morning, thus making him unable to do anything but follow the other. Aomine would rather spend the day with Kise, but Imayoshi was still his king and despite everything, Aomine was still obliged to obey him.

"Good to see you're finally willing to meet me, dear brother." Imayoshi spoke sweetly when Aomine entered the throne room, two days after the initial calling Imayoshi gave to him. Of course, he had known where Aomine was for the whole two days, since Sakurai would always report back to him after his daily check-up on Kise. The fact that Aomine was staying with Kise until the other was feeling better was not so surprising, but it was still unexpected. It was not like Aomine to be distracted by just a mere pretty boy.

"Your dog has been so noisy lately, I thought it'd be better if I indulge him just to shut him up for a moment," Aomine responded. He threw a smirk at Hanamiya who was standing few feet away from him. The only response Hanamiya gave was a saccharine smile that made Aomine snort. He looked back at Imayoshi and crossed his arms on his chest. "So, what's the urgent news? I do have more pressing matters to attend, so do make this quick."

"Oh? Your new toy must be really good in bed then. Tell me, how long do you think it'll take before you're finally bored of him?" Imayoshi drawled with a grin. "I must say he really is exceptionally beautiful for a man. Perhaps once you've thrown him away, I'll take him to my own bed."

Aomine's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. However, he forced himself to not show any of his fury outwardly more than that. What Imayoshi liked the most was to see the effect his venomous words had on people and Aomine would never grant him that pleasure. He was not that naïve anymore. When Aomine chose to speak up, his voice was collected, with hints of mockery thrown in just for good measure, "It's just like you to want used goods, but I will try not to break him too much in case that day ever come. Is there anything else you want to say or can I take my leave now?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't call you here just for small talk." Imayoshi said calmly. His grin softened into a faint smirk after that as his tone took a more serious note, "The victory you have brought to our kingdom certainly was satisfying. However, it also seems that it has brought Teikou out of their shell. Apparently, losing their most competent general made King Akashi furious. Hanamiya has reported that there have been movements from Teikou, small groups of soldiers sent to Yosen, Shuutoku and Kaijou almost at the same time. Do you know what this mean, Aomine?"

"Teikou's trying to make alliances with the other kingdoms," Aomine smirked. "That's good. It means more opponents to be killed."

"_Too many_ opponents to be killed," Hanamiya corrected. He was finally speaking up after being silent since the beginning. His attention was fully directed at Aomine as he spoke, as if he wanted to get a point across. "If Teikou manages to gain alliances from all the other kingdoms, we will be sorely outnumbered. We won't have any chance to win at all. Thus, while I'm very regretful to ruin your fun, Prince Aomine, we still can't let that happen."

"Teikou won't be able to make alliance with Kaijou. We all know that." Aomine pointed out. It was common knowledge that Teikou and Kaijou had always been enemies, although both were not as aggressive as Touou and opted to cut any trades between the two kingdoms instead of waging a war. "At most, Teikou will only gain alliances from Yosen and Shuutoku. While Yosen's defense surely is great, but they don't have many men for a war and Shuutoku's strength is far inferior compares to us. I don't see why we'd have to worry about them."

"There's nothing wrong with being cautious, especially in a situation like this. Fortunately, you are right. Kaijou has refused to form any alliance with Teikou. Of course, it's to be expected. I have taken this chance to write a letter to Kaijou's king, asking him to visit us at his most convenient time. A messenger had brought the reply yesterday," taking an opened parchment from his table, Imayoshi gestured at Aomine to come closer before handing the parchment to him. He linked his hands together and smiled pleasantly as he watched Aomine reading the letter. "At the very least, the feast will be held in three more days. I'm sure you know what is required from you."

Aomine finished reading the letter, which basically informed them that the king of Kaijou had graciously accepted their offer and that they were going to visit Touou in order to discuss further details. He scoffed before giving the parchment back to Imayoshi. Without words, Aomine turned around and started to walk away, ignoring the expectant look on his king's face.

"Daiki."

The sound of his first name being called out coldly made Aomine stop in his track. His body tensed as the fine hair on his neck suddenly roused. The feeling similar with having his back against dangerous animal made Aomine's senses become sharper with caution. He tilted his head slightly, looking back at Imayoshi who was watching him with sharp eyes. There was no trance of a smile in Imayoshi's face and the temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly. There had been warning in Imayoshi voice, one that held promise of heavy retribution if not followed.

"… I know. I will stay throughout the feast. You shan't worry so much, brother. I will never embarrassed our kingdom in front of important guests."

Painfully slowly, Imayoshi's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he heard that. He leaned back against his chair, immediately lifting the tension once filling the room as he said in light tone, "Excellent. I know you won't disappoint me."

"May I take my leave now?" Aomine asked curtly. His whole body language screaming of repressed fury. If he was an animal, he might have bristled his fur in indignation.

"But of course. I pray you have a nice day, dearest brother."

"The chance of today being a nice day has disappeared since I accepted your call. Nevertheless, thank you for that empty wishing."

Imayoshi chuckled as he watched Aomine walked out of the room. His laughter continued for a moment longer even after the door was closed behind the prince. "Is this what they call rebellious age? It'd be amusing if only he weren't so infuriating."

"I will never understand how you can be so lenient to him, my lord. Pardon my words, but if only he weren't a prince, I would have beheaded him a long time ago."

"Don't you think that's a little bit too cruel, Makoto? After all, he's still my blood brother. Family should protect each other." The smile on Imayoshi's face became wistful for a moment before he shook his head slightly as if dismissing bothersome thoughts. "That matter aside, did you find the rats running in the citadel?"

"Yes, My Lord. They are here, just like you expected. My men are watching them discreetly even now. They are only waiting for your order to arrest them."

"You have done really well, Makoto," Imayoshi very nearly purred with satisfaction. He roused from his throne and took light steps towards Hanamiya who dutifully held his ground. Once he was only few steps away from his general, Imayoshi reached out to caress Hanamiya's black locks. "I will give you a reward later on. For now, let the rats have their fun. Who knows, perhaps they will become useful sooner than later."

Hanamiya's eyes met that of Imayoshi's. Silent understanding passed between them before Hanamiya bowed respectfully. "As you wish, your majesty."

**xXXx**

No one dared to come close to Aomine as he strolled out of the throne room. The dark scowl on his face prevented even those who were close to him to speak. Everybody wisely gave him wide berth until he reached Kise's temporary room. Without words, Aomine slammed the door open, thinking he would be able to calm down by hugging Kise and messing with the blond man. He was, however, forced to stop when he was greeted by an empty room.

"… Guards! Where is Kise?!"

The guards outside the door jumped when they heard Aomine's bark. They straightened their already straight pose as one of them answered, "Sire! Lady Momoi came and took the captive with her early this morning. We weren't informed about their whereabouts, but it's most likely that they had went into the kitchen."

"He went with Satsuki?" Aomine groaned. That knowledge wasn't doing any good for his mood. Already he could feel the beginning of a headache forming. He ran a hand through his hair in agitated manner before walking back into the room only to grab his broadsword. He strapped the sword on his back, like always, before going out of the room. "Prepare my horse. I'm going out for a while and don't even dare to tell that to my brother."

"Yes, Sire!"

Aomine didn't waste even a second after that as he walked briskly towards the kitchen, all the while cursing under his breath about nosy childhood friends. He had known Momoi would do something like this—it was obvious the girl had some unhealthy interest with Kise—but still he couldn't believe she would dare to do this when he was away. Knowing Momoi, she would have forced Kise to come with her if necessary and Aomine could only imagine what the girl had said to his spoil of war. If Momoi knew what was good for her, she wouldn't dare saying anything embarrassing about him.

The walk to the kitchen was a short one with his hasty steps. Nearing his destination, Aomine could hear loud laughter and it made him halt his steps. The kitchen's door was slightly open, perhaps since there were too many people inside, and from the small gap, Aomine could see it clearly: Kise's laughing face as he listened to whatever Kagami was talking about. All of the sudden, it was hard to breathe. Aomine's feet stopped dead cold as he watched, almost mesmerized, at the happy expression he had never seen before.

It was beautiful. Kise was even more beautiful when he laughed openly like that. There was no hint of a scowl or pained frown on his face. All of the things Aomine was used to see was replaced by sheer happiness. The faint red flush on Kise's cheek was familiar even to Aomine, indeed, but usually it was accompanied by tear tracks. Now, there was no tear in Kise's eyes except for that of mirth. Aomine clenched his fists. His heart started beating painfully within his chest and he couldn't even understand why.

All that he knew was that he didn't like to see Kise smiling—especially not when it wasn't because of him.

Aomine didn't stop to think deeper about his sudden anger before he slammed the kitchen door wider. Immediately, the laughter stopped. The kitchen became so quiet that it almost seemed eerie as all the people inside turned their attention at Aomine. Kise's smile still lingered on his face for a moment, before it fell completely when he saw Aomine standing in the doorway.

"Who gave you permission to leave the room?" Aomine's voice was close to a growl. His sole attention focused on Kise even as the other occupants in the kitchen shifted awkwardly.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Kagami immediately snarled, but before he could move towards Aomine, Kise was already holding him back, knowing Kagami's temper would only fuel Aomine's anger even more. Kagami subsided with only a glare just because Kise looked angry too.

Once Kagami had step back, Kise glared at Aomine. He folded his arms on his chest in defensive manner. He had no intention to back down. Aomine wasn't going to intimidate him so easily. "If you wanted me to stay in the room, you'd better put a chain on me."

"Maybe I will! You are a spoil of war! You don't have any freedom to walk around the castle!"

"Dai-_chan_! That's enough!" Momoi snapped when Aomine started to raise his voice. The girl's face was red with restrained anger. She glared at Aomine before opening her mouth again, "That's enough. You have no right to vent your frustration on Kise-_san_. Besides, it was I who took Kise-_san _out of the room. If you want to punish someone, it should be me."

Aomine returned the glare directly. His expression was murderous, but Momoi didn't look afraid at all. The two childhood friends were locked in a glaring match, none of them willing to give in. The other soldiers and maids could only watch with worried faces. They knew stepping in between Aomine and Momoi would only make everything worse.

After a while, Aomine finally growled as he turned his face away from Momoi. "You should stop meddling with others' problem, Satsuki." As he said that, he moved towards Kise and forcefully dragged the other man out of the room by his wrist. He turned deaf ears to Kagami's protest or Momoi's call and it was easy for Aomine to ignore Kise's struggle and curses. Soon enough, the kitchen was already left behind them.

When it was obvious struggling would bring him no result, Kise resorted to silent sulking. "You shouldn't talk like that to Lady Momoi. She meant well."

"Amazing. You had just met her today, but already you're willing to defend her. I thought you hate all of Touou's people."

"At least she is better than you," Kise replied with a growl. Truly, it was impossible to even attempt a smile around Aomine. The man was just too insufferable! "Where are we going, anyway? I thought you said I couldn't walk around the castle!"

"Don't be stupid. You are with me now, of course that rule doesn't apply. Now, shut up. You'll see where we are going later on."

Kise really hoped he could kill people with a glare by then, but he nevertheless fell silent. That didn't stop him from cursing Aomine under his breath, though. Aomine didn't respond to his insult and there were no more words exchanged between them as they walked. Kise realized belatedly that they were walking towards the stable. He lifted his brows curiously. It seemed impossible that Aomine would take him anywhere outside the castle, but as he watched the prince mounting on his horse, apparently that truly was the case.

"We are going out of the castle?"

"Yes, now come here." Aomine stretched out his hand towards Kise, his expression expectant.

"… Huh?"

"Come here."

Kise could only stare at Aomine. The order wasn't that hard, but still Kise's brain refused to comprehend it. His gaze moved from Aomine's outstretched hand to his eyes, seeing the restraint patience within the dark blue orbs—and he finally understood the order. He flushed from embarrassment once he figured out what Aomine wanted him to do. "No."

Aomine narrowed his eyes. "Come. Here." He repeated again, this time with a warning in his tone.

"No," Kise answered again, shaking his head for good measure. He even took a step away from the horse. "No, I am not going to ride the horse with you. I will not be seen like a damsel by sitting in front of you!" The thought was too humiliating. Kise could ride a horse perfectly fine by himself, thank you very much. He didn't need to ride the same horse as Aomine.

"What's wrong with being a damsel? Far as I'm concerned, you're already acting like a woman last night," Aomine smirked as he saw the flush on Kise's cheeks deepened. It was obvious what thought was playing inside the blond's head right now. "Now, for the love of the Goddess, come here or I will personally drag you onto this horse."

"You won't dare!"

"Won't I?"

The easy retort coming from Aomine was what made Kise gape for a minute before finally giving in.

He knew Aomine would surely drag him as he said if he continued to resist and Kise really didn't need additional embarrassment. Without looking at Aomine, he took the outstretched hand and gasped when he was being pulled almost effortlessly onto the saddle. He swayed a little once he was sitting on the saddle, but Aomine's hand around his waist tightened to secure him and he could feel the warmth of Aomine's chest pressed onto his back. Against his will, his face immediately went red from the touch.

"… Heh, your ears are red. Does being this close to me bring up certain memories?"

"!" Aomine's warm breath was tickling his ear. Kise immediately turned his face around, although he was sure Aomine still could see the red on his ears becoming darker. "S-shut up! Who would want to remember any of those things! Where are we going, anyway?"

Kise could feel the low rumble on Aomine's chest as he chuckled. He had expected another teasing from the other, but Aomine just silently urged his horse to move before answering his question, "We won't be going far. Just some place outside the citadel. I have a hunch that you'll like the place."

Kise blinked when he heard the answer. There was something almost gentle in Aomine's tone and it was the first time Kise heard it. All of this time, he had only seen Aomine as a barbaric person who would do anything to get what he wanted. He was cruel, lewd and arrogant and Kise had been willing to accept that as Aomine's true nature, because then it would be so much easier for him to hate the other. This time though, he had a feeling he would see a side of Aomine he had never seen before and to be honest, it scared him. Kise didn't want Aomine to be gentle with him, because it was always easier to fall for kindness than violence and he really didn't want to stop hating Aomine.

With that thought in mind, Kise was silent for the rest of their journey. His heart was thumping anxiously within its cage and the warmth of Aomine's chest seemed to burn through their clothes. Kise squeezed his eyes shut, hands clenching unconsciously as he prayed he would be able to hold on.

**xXXx**

After a while, they finally arrived at the outer border of the castle. Kise's eyes widened as they stopped in an open, secluded area where there was only vast grassland and a big, clear lake. The sun made the lake's surface sparkled invitingly and it was probably the most beautiful scene Kise had ever seen before. He was still awe-struck that he didn't realize Aomine had brought the horse into a halt until Aomine gently urged him to jump off of the saddle.

Kise obeyed without any protest and as his feet touched the grass beneath him, he could feel a small smile curving his lips. The air felt so fresh. Touou usually was hotter than Teikou, but in an open space like this it was windy enough to make the heat bearable. Kise slowly walked towards the lake while Aomine tied the horse on one of the trees' branches. He stopped just few feet away before the water could touch him. The water was so calm, Kise wondered how deep the lake was.

"Looks like I'm right, you do like this place." Aomine's voice sounded just a little bit smug as he said that. After making sure the horse would be safe, he approached Kise, although he made sure not to get too close with the other man. Kise looked so relaxed and peaceful. Aomine didn't want to change that. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Kise hesitantly answered. "Why did you bring me here though? There are only the two of us here. There's no witness even if I were to kill you and run away from here."

"You're right, but I'm sure you won't do that. You would never leave your precious Kagami_cchi _alone here." As long as Kagami was still within the Touou castle, there was no way Kise would run away. Aomine knew this well. "Besides, I just brought you here on a whim. This is where I always go to whenever I want to calm down. I just want you to accompany me today. Is that too much to ask for?"

Kise frowned and turned around, ready to give Aomine some scathing remarks, but what he found was Aomine staring at him with a gentle half-smile on his face. Unexplainably, Kise's face started to feel hot and he was forced to look away from the Touou prince. Kise could feel his ears going red _again_. This was not good.

Of course, the blush didn't go unnoticed. Aomine smirked before drawling arrogantly, "Oh? Why are you blushing now? Did you finally fall for my charm?"

"Stop talking about the impossible," Kise grunted, although he was still not looking back at Aomine. He took deep breath, trying to control his rapid heartbeat while inwardly berating himself for reacting like that to Aomine's smile. "What did you usually do when you're here?"

"Swimming."

"Swimming?!" The answer managed to make Kise looked back at Aomine almost immediately. He then stared at the other as if questioning his sanity.

"Yes, swimming." Aomine repeated calmly, having no idea what was so strange about his answer. "It feels nice to swim in the lake. It always manages to cool my head down."

"I hope you're not expecting me to join you."

"Don't tell me you can't swim."

There was enough smugness in Aomine's voice that it made Kise glare hard at him. It was true that Kise wasn't really good at swimming, but that didn't mean Aomine could tease him like that. "No, I just don't want to get wet."

"Such a shame," from the smirk on his face, it was clear that Aomine didn't believe a word of what Kise had said. Nevertheless, he didn't push the topic. "Well then, I guess today I will just stay here and take a nap." As he said that, Aomine dropped his body down onto the grass carelessly. He took off the broadsword from his back and put it beside him before lying down. With hands under his head, he closed his eyes.

"Are you not going to join me here too?"

That time, Kise could only stare at Aomine. He didn't understand this Aomine—the one who is almost playful and gentle. He didn't want to understand this Aomine, but the half-smile was back on the other's face and he was only waiting for Kise patiently. It was so unusual that Kise finally sat down beside him, still bewildered.

"Excellent," the half-smile on Aomine's face turned into a boyish grin. He then sat up only to lie back down—this time with his head on Kise's lap.

"W-what are you doing?! Don't use my lap as a pillow!"

"It's comfortable. Besides, it's your fault I can't go swimming, so you will have to take responsibility for that."

"It's your own decision to not go swimming! Don't put the blame on me!"

"Kise," Aomine called out in low voice. When Kise's scowling face looked down at him, he smirked and lifted his upper body to plant a kiss on Kise's lips. The kiss was softer and ended much faster than any they had shared before, but it was enough to render Kise speechless. Aomine pulled away with a smirk. "Shut up and let me sleep."

There was no words coming from Kise after that. Aomine took that as a good thing and he closed his eyes again, this time allowing his mind to succumb into his dreamland.

As he watched Aomine sleep, Kise wondered why he didn't just push the other way. Perhaps it was because the weight on his lap wasn't exactly uncomfortable and Aomine looked so peaceful in his sleep or maybe there was another reason—one that Kise couldn't handle to admit.

"… Just what is wrong with me…?" he whispered in trembling voice. Heaving a shuddering breath, Kise lifted his head to look at the bright blue sky. It was the same with how he felt back then—back when he was first released from the Teikou prison. It was a change and once again, Kise was consumed by fear of the unknown. This time, Akashi wasn't there to help him. This time he would have to settle this alone.

Kise didn't have the confidence to do that.

**xXXx**

What caught Kise's attention first was the rustling of the leaves. There was no breeze at that time and the rustling came from various places—it was not something that could occur from nature. He straightened up, eyes narrowed as he tried to look pass the rows of trees. He sharpened his senses as the rustling stopped and complete silence filled the air. He couldn't hear a thing, not even the chirping of the birds or insects, and it only made him even more wary. Kise turned his attention back to Aomine who was still sleeping soundly on his lap, before stretching his body to take Aomine's discarded broadsword.

With careful movements, he pulled the heavy sword closer until he could grab it firmly with his hands. He had never used a broadsword before, always preferring the twin swords or short swords, but he had seen Aomine fought using it and Kise was quite sure he would be able to mimic the gesture. The tension on his body lessened with the weight of the sword in his hands. He always felt calmer when he had a weapon to protect himself.

"What are you doing?"

Kise almost jumped in surprise when he heard Aomine's low voice. It was still hoarse, but as he looked down, Aomine's eyes were already alert. Perhaps he woke up when he felt Kise taking the sword. Silently, Kise shook his head and gestured towards the rows of trees. The rustling had started again, this time accompanied by the faint sound of cautious footsteps. Understanding dawned on Aomine and he slowly sat up.

"Hunters?"

"No, their footsteps are too light. They must be trained. Assassins, from what I guess."

"Can you tell how many people there are?"

"Not the exact amount, but I'm guessing five people—or more."

"… Who do you think their target is?"

Aomine smirked. "That's a good question. I think our new friends would be able to answer that for us soon."

As soon as Aomine said that, three people jumped out of the rows of trees with their weapons drawn. Kise and Aomine sprang up immediately, readying themselves as the men rushed in on an attack. Two men went for Aomine while Kise intercepted the last one, blocking his dagger with Aomine's broadsword. Having no experience with such large weapon beforehand, Kise was having difficulty calculating the distance between him and his enemy. The weight of the sword made him sway and the assassin used that chance to step in, his dagger aimed to slit Kise's throat. Kise cursed and took a step back. He almost tripped on his feet, but he managed to lift the broadsword and hit the assassin hard with the hilt. The assassin's eyes widened for a fraction of second before he crumpled down to the ground.

Panting, Kise warily watched the fallen assassin for a moment longer, only to make sure he had truly passed out. Once he was sure the assassin wouldn't be standing up anytime soon, Kise turned around, eyes searching for Aomine.

What he saw stunned him. Aomine was fighting few feet away and he was fighting against four people at the same time. There were two bodies fallen near him, the grass beneath and around the bodies stained red and Kise knew they were already dead. Aomine was doing alright with only a stolen dagger, but already there were various cuts on his body. Kise knew that if this continued on, sooner or later the fight would go downhill for Aomine. Tightening his grip on the handle of the broadsword, Kise didn't stop to question himself as he ran towards Aomine.

As he got near, two of the assassins turned to face him, but Kise had the momentum advantage and as he swung the broadsword, there was no time for the assassins to dodge. The sword made large, deep slash on the assassins' chest. Blood spurted from the open wound. Faintly, Kise heard feeble groans before the two assassins fell on the ground, sure to be dead soon. Kise didn't even slow down. He kept on running until he reached Aomine, swinging the broadsword to make an opening. Once he managed to reach Aomine, he turned around, pressing his back against Aomine's to cover all of their sides.

"Are you alright?" Kise asked without taking his eyes off of the enemy in front of him.

"Hah!" Aomine dodged an attack and kicked the assassin on his solar plexus before answering, "I can manage just fine without you. Did you hurt yourself with my broadsword?"

Kise smiled wryly. Despite Aomine's tough words, he could hear the other's heavy breathing. The smell of blood was thick too and Kise had seen how Aomine fought while protecting his side. He could only guess Aomine was injured there. "Is that how you talk to someone who came to help you?"

"I don't need your help."

Kise didn't bother to give a respond to that. He hadn't expected anything from Aomine anyway and they didn't have any more time for small talk as suddenly there was a blade just few inches away from his face. Kise ducked reflexively and aimed a kick to his enemy's leg. Unfortunately, the assassin easily jumped out of his reach.

Before he had any time to stand up, his enemy had already sprang back up towards him. Pain shot through Kise's brain when a kick hit him square on the chin. The impact made him sprawled on his back, coppery blood filling his mouth. Kise gasped when the assassin straddled him, using his weight to pin him down. Kise struggled, but it was futile. He couldn't even use the broadsword on such close distance. The assassin smirked haughtily, before rising his blade high above Kise's heart.

Kise closed his eyes, unable to see the moment the blade went down, but then there was a wet sound and warm liquid splattered on his face. The scent of blood became even more intense. Kise slowly opened his eyes—and they immediately widened. The assassin on top of him was bleeding profusely, a dagger stuck on his throat. As he watched, the assassin's terrified eyes locked onto him, his lips opened but instead of a sound, only blood spilled out. The assassin grabbed at his throat, but it was of no use. Within minutes, he was already drowned in his own blood and his lifeless body fell on Kise.

"I thought you said you were going to help me?"

Kise looked up and there Aomine was, standing above him with a roguish grin on his face. He was sweating profusely, his breaths coming in short pants and blood dirtied his face and clothes. Overall though, he looked satisfied. Looking further, Kise saw the corpse of the assassin Aomine had faced. That was when Kise's blood ran cold with terror. Aomine truly was a monster.

"Oy, are you injured?" Aomine frowned when Kise just stared at him. He couldn't see any obvious wound on Kise's body, except for the split lips, but then again half of the other's body was covered by the corpse so he couldn't really say for sure.

"N-no, I'm alright." Kise stammered an answer. He finally moved, pushing the body a top of him away. He wrinkled his nose in disgust when he saw the blood on his clothes. Slowly sitting up, Kise took Aomine's offered hand to stand up. His knees felt weak and his lips throbbed badly. He couldn't wait until they were back at the castle to rest. "Do you often get attacked by assassins while you're swimming?"

"Only once or twice," Aomine answered nonchalantly before gently cupping Kise's face and lifting it up. He lightly touched the split on Kise's lips, the crease between his brows deepening slightly when Kise hissed in pain because of that. "We need to tend your wounds."

"It's just split lips. I've had worse. More importantly, aren't you curious about your attackers?"

"Don't worry about them," Aomine brushed off Kise's answer. He released Kise's face and turned around. "Let's go back to the castle."

A frown made its way to Kise's face. He couldn't understand why Aomine seemed to take this attack very lightly. It was obvious that their target was Aomine—and that was strange. Kise could still understand if these assassins were sent for him, since he was a disgrace for Teikou and a danger for Touou. There must be people who wanted him dead. But, no. They were attacking Aomine—the crown prince of Touou—within Touou territory instead. If it had happened to him, Kise would surely want to know who had sent them, not just brushing it off like that.

He was about to voice his thought when he noticed blood trail on the ground. When he realized it came from Aomine, Kise was overwhelmed with unexpected worry that he forgot what he was about to say. Instead, his body seemed to move on its own accord as he caught up to the other and grabbed Aomine's arm. A pained hiss escaped Aomine's lips before he could hide it and then Kise saw it: the large gash on Aomine's side that he had been trying to cover up the whole time.

"You're injured!"

"Your capability of stating the obvious really surprise me."

Kise ignored Aomine's sarcastic response in order to force him to sit down on the ground. Aomine was about to complaint, but apparently he was more tired than he showed because his struggle didn't last long. Kise knelt in front of him. With tentative fingers, he then lifted Aomine's tunic to see the wound. It was a long gash starting from under his ribs to near his hip. It was still bleeding, but the wound didn't seem deep enough to be life-threatening. Kise sighed in relief.

"I am no healer, but maybe I can help you." Kise let go of Aomine's broadsword in order to rip his tunic's sleeve. He then carefully covered Aomine's wound with the cloth, making sure to tie it tight in the end. It wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding completely, but it could at least work as a makeshift bandage. "There. I think you will be able to ride back to the castle without bleeding to death now."

"You do know your joke isn't funny, right?"

"I know. It's not like I actually try to be funny, anyway."

Aomine chuckled, although it soon changed into another pained hiss. He cursed under his breath before sighing heavily. "Well, I guess fighting against six people is a little bit too much even for me."

"You just realize this now?" Kise almost rolled his eyes. "Let's head back. Your wound will be infected if we stay here any longer." With that said, he stood up and held out his hand. The reversal of the situation wasn't missed by any of them, but Aomine just smirked before accepting the offered help. Kise then supported the injured prince after taking the broadsword and strapping it on his back—under Aomine's suggestion.

Aomine insisted to ride when they reached their horse. Kise didn't complaint only because he didn't think arguing with an injured person was wise. They rode back on the same position as when they rode out, only this time Aomine was holding Kise even tighter, as if making sure they both were alright. Kise, for once, let Aomine do as he pleases. It was comforting to feel the warmth of a living person on his back after having a corpse on top of him. Their ride back was mostly filled with silence, until Kise finally broke it.

"The assassins … they were targeting you."

"I know."

"They are not from Teikou either. The dagger they used is prohibited in Teikou."

"I know."

"You should report this attack to your brother. Attacking a royal member is a heavy crime and—"

"Kise," Aomine cut in tiredly. "Leave it, alright? There's no need to report this attack. I'm sure my brother already knew about it. For now, let's just head back. I'm tired."

There was something in Aomine's voice that forced Kise to stop talking. A hint of sadness that made his voice trembled a little. There were still too many questions needed to be answered, but Aomine seemed genuinely tired that Kise didn't have the heart to push the matter. Once again silence accompanied their ride and soon enough, they could already see the majestic Touou castle looming in front of them.

* * *

**To be Continued …**


	15. Traitor

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 15 — Traitor**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story information.**

**Anon/non-member reviews response:**

**Myadorabletetsuya**: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you can still enjoy this story eventhough you don't like how I pictured Aomine in it. Indeed, perhaps Aomine is too pervert and cruel here, just like you say, but he has his reasons. He and Kise are enemies here when they first met and they still are enemies even now. Aomine didn't take Kise because he was fond of him. He took Kise because it was his right to do that as the victor. In a war, the winner takes all and naturally that concept applies here too. Of course Aomine wouldn't care about Kise's feelings when he took him as a spoil of war. In fact, he couldn't afford to be gentle with Kise. He has an image he has to maintain as Touou's prince, after all, and being kind to an enemy certainly won't make his people see him favorably. He will change, certainly, but changes usually take time and they hadn't spent that much time in each other's company. But anyway, I'm still glad if you at least like the KagaKuro in my story! I will try to put them under the spotlight more later on. Thanks for following this story!

**FullyFLUFFED**: Interesting name and thank you for your review! Yes, Kise doesn't particularly enjoy being wet, although I'm sure if they ever actually swim together, Aomine will have a wonderful time looking at the deliciously wet Kise. *winks*

**review**: Thank you for your review. I'm sure most of you already can guess who sent the assassins, so I won't answer that here. I'm glad you're liking this story and I hope I'll be able to hold your interest in this story until its finished!

**Vee and Anon**: Thank you for your review, I really appreciate it! :D

**A/N**: This chapter is self-edited because my beta is currently unavailable. Please pardon the grammar and spelling mistakes you may find. I've self-edited this, but there's just so much I can do by myself. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this.

* * *

"Traitor?" Miyaji repeated what Hayama said to him, his brows furrowed deeply. "You are not serious, are you?"

"I am not kidding, Sir Miyaji! I heard this from the royal guards, there's no mistaking it! They have been saying that there's a traitor inside the castle. Apparently, they thought it was the traitor who had attacked Prince Aomine yesterday!"

Flailing his arms to emphasize his words, Hayama explained with too much enthusiasm, in Miyaji's opinion. The older of two heaved a sigh before pulling his drink closer to him. Alcohol was not good for his system, but it was something he clearly needed to handle Hayama's bright attitude. Too bad he couldn't just throw a pineapple or stab the other on the head instead. Finishing his half full glass with one gulp, Miyaji then leaned back on his chair, deep in thought.

"Don't blindly trust a rumor like that. It's a heavy accusation, the kind that will need proof to back it up. Besides, if there really is a traitor, don't you think King Imayoshi would have known by now? He's not exactly merciful towards traitors."

Seeing Miyaji's clear disinterest in the matter, Hayama's smile faltered and replaced by a barely-there pout. He plopped down on a chair in front of Miyaji, folding his arms on the desk and lying his chin on top of them. "But I am pretty sure about this news. From what I've heard, Prince Aomine's injury was quite serious. We all know the attackers couldn't be someone from Teikou, since King Akashi had ordered us to stay put until he returns from Yosen. The only logical explanation is that the attack had been initiated by someone within the castle. Someone who knew Prince Aomine was going out at the time."

Miyaji had to admit Hayama got a point. He furrowed his brows deeper. It was true that the only one who could dispatch a group of assassins to follow and attack the prince yesterday was someone who knew where Aomine was going. Seeing as how the prince had never once stepped out of the castle since his return to the kingdom, then the assassins' master could only be someone within the castle. Miyaji had known Touou was a violent kingdom, the rivalry between royal siblings here famous even to the other kingdoms, but never had he thought there would be blatant assassination attempt to the prince.

"Has this news been spread to the people?"

"Negative," Hayama answered immediately. "From what I gathered, the only people who knew about this news were those who lived inside the castle. Apparently, they didn't want to make the people worried. An assassination attempt on their prince in a state of war does sound bad, right?"

"Or perhaps they are intentionally keeping the people out of it." Indeed, it would be worrying for the people to find out an assassin had managed to slip into the kingdom and even attacked their prince, who was claimed to be the strongest warrior they had. However, there was also the possibility of the king intentionally hiding this accident from the people. Hence, they would not suspect the possibility of betrayal within the kingdom's wall.

Hayama lifted his head up, his eyes showing a hint of understanding. "You do have scary thoughts sometime, Sir Miyaji."

"We live in a scary world," Miyaji replied wryly. He debated on getting another glass of drink, but decided against it. He was getting antsy from all the waiting they had done, but turning alcoholic wouldn't exactly improve his mood. He leaned back against his chair, eyes lazily sweeping around the bar, taking notes of the other customers. That was when he noticed someone was missing.

"Where is Sir Haizaki?"

"Over the bar counter. He is going to see if the owner knows any information about Sir Kise or Prince Kagami."

Miyaji turned around to see the knight they were talking about. True enough, Haizaki was sitting on the bar counter, a glass of drink held loosely in his hand. He still wore his travelling coat, but the hood was down now and it was easy to locate him by his uncommon grey hair. He was talking to someone beside him. Miyaji's eyes narrowed, trying to get a closer look of Haizaki's companion. He was unsuccessful though, because unlike Haizaki, his companion still had his hood up to cover his face. That _certainly_ didn't seem suspicious at all.

"I didn't know Sir Haizaki has friends here."

"I'm almost sure Sir Haizaki doesn't have friends—anywhere. He has acquaintances, subordinates and masters, but friends? Sir Kise is the only friend of him that I know of."

Miyaji snorted. He certainly could understand why. Which, consequently, made this even more interesting. "Then, who do you think he's talking to right now?"

The lilting question made Hayama turn around so fast Miyaji almost sure he would get a whiplash. His brows hit his hairline once he saw the people they were talking about. Haizaki really was talking with someone in friendly manner. It was … unexpected. After a moment of staring, he finally turned back around to share his amazement with Miyaji.

"I never thought Sir Haizaki would be able to speak with someone without drawing out his sword."

"Especially not with a stranger." Miyaji conceded with slight nod. He knew there was no real reason to be suspicious of Haizaki, especially not when there was no solid evidence to back it up, but Miyaji had always believed in his gut instinct and … well, Haizaki wasn't exactly what he would call the loyal type. War opened up so many possibilities. Unfortunately, betrayal was the most common of them all.

Taking a look on Miyaji's face, Hayama couldn't help but to shiver. Not exactly from fright, but rather from excitement. Danger had always attracted him. "Should we go and approach them now?"

"No. Let's just wait and see. If we disturb them without having any evidence, we will just blotch any chance we may have to reveal their plan. Besides, I don't think Sir Haizaki will ever work with enemy."

"So we will just continue to observe them?"

"_You _will continue observing them," Miyaji smirked smugly. He put some coins on the table before standing up. The smirk on his face widened when Hayama looked up at him with open mouth. It felt good to dump duty to others sometime. "Meanwhile, I will go upstairs and rest in our room. Don't lose sight of them."

"That's unfair, Sir Miyaji!" Hayama whined loudly, but he was easily ignored. Miyaji just smirked, ruffling Hayama's hair, and continued walking towards the stairs. Hayama pouted as he tried to tidy up his hair, but once Miyaji was out of his line of sight, a small smile curved his lips. He didn't mind being put on watch duty, as long as it made Miyaji happy. Chuckling at his own sappy thought, Hayama called out to a waitress for a glass of beer. If he was being put on impromptu watch duty, might as well indulge himself a little bit.

Unbeknownst to them, two pairs of eyes were watching their movement closely. Haizaki sighed as he took another sip of his drink. Miyaji had a great instinct, indeed. Perhaps that was what made him perfect for espionage, but at time like this, having that instinct turned on him was bothersome. Perhaps he should consider himself lucky that Hayama was the one assigned to keep watch on them. He knew the young knight better than he knew Miyaji and Hayama wasn't so distrustful. In fact, he was too gullible it had become his weakness sometime.

"Apparently your friend doesn't trust you. Aren't you hurt by that?"

"Not at all. It just proves that they are excellent soldiers." Haizaki answered calmly. He had heard the mocking tone in his companion's voice and he would be damned if the other managed to get under his skin. Both of them were similar in so many ways, Haizaki refused to lose from the other. "Since we've waste too many time with idle talk, why don't we cut the chase now? I know your men have been following us for a while. However, I do find it's interesting how they don't immediately arrest us. It also makes me wonder … what exactly do you expect from us, General Hanamiya?"

Hanamiya's smile was sly just like a snake. His eyes glinted with twisted amusement. Oh, he wasn't surprised Haizaki knew they were being followed. Most likely, the three of them knew it. The fact they were still staying despite of that showed that the guards didn't frighten them at all. He must say he was rather impressed. Smaller spies would have run back to their kingdom with tail between their legs by now. Not with these men, though. Not with the Teikou and Shuutoku knights.

"I'm merely waiting for my king's order. Besides, as long as you don't do anything threatening, you all are Touou's guests. It won't do to attack our guests."

"How generous," Haizaki drawled mockingly. Hanamiya was fooling himself if he thought Haizaki would buy his words. "Here I thought you were planning something bigger. After all, spies from other kingdoms will be the perfect scapegoats once your plan of attacking the prince is foiled."

"You are thinking too high of me. I will never be able to plan something as grandiose as that," the laughter that slipped from Hanamiya's lips was too sweet to be sincere. He tilted his head slightly, lips still curved in that saccharine smile, but his eyes were filled with mockery. "We genuinely want to make your stay here pleasant, Sir Haizaki. There is no need for you to be so cautious." After he said that, Hanamiya put some coins on the bar counter. He then stood up, dipping his head in farewell to Haizaki. "Your drink is on me, tonight. Please enjoy it," he flashed another of those too sweet smile once again, "Until we meet again."

Haizaki lifted his glass in mock salute as Hanamiya walked away. He couldn't help but to feel amuse. Hanamiya was as slippery as a snake. Every word escaping from his mouth was lie wrapped inside sweet words. He was despicable. He was someone who wouldn't hesitate to stab you on the back once you put your trust on him. He was someone Haizaki certainly could relate to. It would be interesting to know the other better, if only they weren't standing on the opposite side of the war. Haizaki chuckled, ordering another drink to the owner. Hanamiya had graciously paid for his drinks, might as well take full advantage of that kind offer.

"Charming person, isn't he?"

"Quite. Although I'm sure you two will clash immediately if you ever had the chance to talk with him, Hayama." Haizaki didn't bother to turn around to face the other. He had felt Hayama's presence get closer once Hanamiya had walked out of the tavern. "Care for a drink?"

"No, thank you. I've already taken one and Sir Miyaji will kill me if he smells alcohol inside the room. Which is unfair, considering he's a heavy drinker himself," Hayama chirped brightly, taking Hanamiya's abandoned stool. Still with a bright smile on his face, he looked up at Haizaki, "So, are you going to betray us, Sir Haizaki?"

Haizaki lifted his brows at the direct question, lips curled into amused smirk immediately. "You should learn more about subtlety. Do you think just because you're asking them directly, people will gladly give you an honest answer? Even for you, that thought is just too foolish."

"Ah, but I know you, Sir Haizaki. Even if you answer my question dishonestly, I will notice that. So there's no need for you to lie to me, right?"

Personally, Haizaki thought it was an absurd logic, but Hayama had always been known for his eccentricity. Besides, what he said was true enough. There really was no need to lie to someone who could easily see through your lies. Hayama might be an airhead most of the time, with his smile and cheerful attitude, but he knew exactly when to turn that trait of him into an advantage. Not that Haizaki would expect less from one of King Akashi's top notch knights.

"Are you afraid I will stab you from behind one day, Hayama?"

The light voiced question made Hayama frown in thought. It was a serious question, despite the lightness in which it was delivered. Hayama took his time to ponder on an answer, before deciding to speak honestly, "Yes, I am. People will betray other people. It's the true nature of humanity, so there is always the possibility of you betraying us. However, I think you won't do that right now. After all, Sir Kise is important for you too."

Silence settled between them after that. For a moment, Haizaki just stared at Hayama who daringly return the gaze. But then Haizaki's lips twitched before light chuckle escaped him. "It's easy to forget how observant you are at times." He drawled lightly, turning his attention back to the glass in hand. "You're right, though. I have no intention to turn coat. At least not now. I trust you will relay that to Miyaji? It will be too bothersome being under his watch."

"Nah, I think Sir Miyaji knows you aren't going to betray us. That's why he told me to watch you. If he really think you're going to do it, he won't give that duty to anyone else. He's a little bit too paranoid for that."

"Damn," Haizaki smirked as he finished his drink. "You're in for a big challenge, lad." It was a common knowledge shared between the Teikou and Shuutoku knights that Hayama had always been trailing after Miyaji whenever they met. For whatever reason, it seemed that Hayama was genuinely interested in the grumpy knight.

Hayama's good natured laughter told Haizaki the truth of his words—and that he didn't mind it at all.

**xXXx**

Kise was getting anxious. He couldn't stay still, but he wasn't allowed to go out of his room. Hence, he had been pacing all around the small room before finally dropping himself onto the mattress. He tried to close his eyes, thinking that perhaps sleep would help settling his anxiety down, but the thoughts running in his mind made sleep elude him.

He hadn't seen Aomine again since they returned to the castle yesterday. The prince was immediately brought into his room so that Sakurai would be able to tend to his wounds. Kise had stayed in the room at first, but then Imayoshi had come and … well, Kise could safely say he wouldn't want to face the Touou king again. Unless it was to stab a sword right through his black heart, perhaps. Ever since then, Kise had stayed inside his own room. Sakurai had visited him once to look at his minor injuries, but except for that, he had been left alone.

Usually, Kise would take Aomine's absence gratefully, but after the attack, he couldn't stop worrying about the other. He knew it was ridiculous. Aomine was a general, just like him, and so he must be used to life threatening injuries. The wound he had gotten yesterday wouldn't mean anything. It wouldn't even leave remarkable mark afterwards. Still, Kise couldn't convince himself everything was fine. Especially not when he hadn't heard any news about Aomine lately.

He shouldn't feel like this. Aomine was his enemy. He had sworn to kill the man with his sword. There really was no reason for Kise to worry about Aomine. But then he would remember how Aomine had saved his life, not only yesterday but also back when he had attacked King Imayoshi. It was then he realized he owed life-debt to Aomine and as a true soldier, Kise couldn't go on with his life before repaying that debt. So it was only natural for him to worry about Aomine. He wouldn't be able to repay his debts if Aomine was dead and Kise would forever be haunted by the weight of it. Surely, it was the only reason he felt like this.

Before Kise could delve further into his own thought, there was a knock on his door. He immediately sat up on the mattress, wondering who would visit him today and trying to silence the small voice inside his head that was whispering Aomine's name hopefully. It turned out that the visitors were people he hadn't expected at all, but still their presence managed to make Kise smile a little.

"I hope we are not disturbing anything, Kise-_san_." Kuroko's monotone voice greeted him as the teal haired man stepped into the room. He was followed by Kagami who obediently closed the door after him. "I apologize for the unexpected visit."

"I don't mind it at all," Kise said with all sincerity. "It's nice to have companies here and, well, I'm glad it was you two."

Kuroko offered a small smile in reply, but he didn't say anything. It was Kagami who stepped forward and sat down on the mattress, just beside Kise. He took a good look at Kise, crimson eyes slowly scanning Kise's whole body before he finally parted his lips and said, "You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"I'm not the one seeking for it, Kagami-_cchi_." Kise sighed softly, already knowing he would get a lecture from Kagami. "Besides, I'm not hurt. There's no need to worry about me. Have you heard any news about Aomine?"

"Aomine-_kun _will be fine. His injuries aren't too serious. He should recover after two days of rest, just in time to receive Kaijou's royal parties."

"Oh," the tight hand that had been gripping his heart unmercifully loosened when he heard that and Kise hated himself for that. He couldn't hide how relieved he was though, and all of the sudden he was afraid to look at Kagami. He bowed his head, eyes focusing on his clasped hands, as he murmured, "That's good to know."

Silence settled in the room after that. Kuroko and Kagami both looked at each other, one with questioning eyes and one with a glint of expectation. After a minute of silent conversation, Kuroko finally dipped his head slightly.

"Kise-_san_, I'm sure you're quite hungry," it was close to lunch time and from the abandoned breads on the desk beside Kise's bed, Kuroko gathered he hadn't eaten anything at all. "I'll go to the kitchen and see if I can get some foods for us. Meanwhile, I hope you don't mind if Kagami-_kun _stays here."

"Ah, of course I don't mind. Thank you." Kise hadn't realized how hungry he was until Kuroko offered to get some foods. He lifted his head to give the other a grateful smile, which was returned. The smile on Kise's face only last until Kuroko closed the door behind him. Afterwards, he carefully kept his expression neutral as silence once again hung heavily in the room. Kise was overly aware of Kagami's presence beside him and he knew the other had many questions for him. He was, however, afraid to hear those unspoken question—he was afraid to answer them. The tension in the room seemed to thicken and Kise suddenly had to resist the urge to fidget.

For a while, Kagami let the silence surrounded them. He was watching Kise from the corner of his eyes, noticing the tension coiling on his body, and knew Kise wouldn't be the one to break the silence. Kagami heaved a soft sigh. He then leaned back, using his arms to hold his body weight as he gazed up at the ceiling. He was not good at words, so this situation was more than a little awkward for him. Glancing from the corner of his eyes again, he could see Kise was still lowering his head. Though, even without looking at the other's expression, Kagami knew Kise felt guilty. Honestly, sometimes Kise was so obvious it was not even funny.

"So," Kagami decided to ignore the way Kise's body flinched slightly as he spoke. "I see you're getting better."

It was a poor attempt at conversation, but it was the best Kagami could come up with. Kise chuckled lightly. He had almost forgotten how awkward Kagami was with serious talks. "Yes. Sakurai-_cchi_ really is an excellent healer. It's thanks to him I've recovered this fast," he then looked up at Kagami with a gentle smile. "I know I've never said this before, but you look good too, Kagami-_cchi_. You look happy."

Kagami snorted. "I won't put it like that. Although … I think I'm less angry than when I first arrived here. Personally, I still hate most of the Touou people but some of the soldiers … they are not so bad."

"I know what you mean," Kise grinned. "Kiyoshi and the others certainly are friendly. Also, I'm glad you're not being punished severely for my regicide act. I've been … worrying about that."

"You don't need to apologize. I helped you because I wanted to, so you don't have to feel responsible for anything. You're an important family for me, Kise, it's only natural for me to protect you. That said, I was surprised too by my punishment. I heard it was Aomine who decided the punishment for me, so I guess that means I owe him one, no matter how much I hate it...," Kagami intentionally trailed off, trying to gauge Kise's reaction. He was not stupid. He knew something had happened yesterday—something that might change Kise's way of thinking and Kagami wanted to know exactly what was going on in his half-brother's head.

"You don't owe him anything, Kagami-_cchi_. He had promised me he would make sure you're safe. Saving you from execution was only part of that agreement."

Kise's voice was carefully controlled. Kagami couldn't help but to smirk wryly. "Akashi was right, you need to learn to hide your feelings better," unable to take the straining tension any longer, he then put Kise on a headlock before ruffling the blond hair, making Kise yelped in surprise. Kagami grinned when Kise shot him an exasperated glare, glad that he had managed to lighten the mood slightly and gently bumped their foreheads together. From this distance, there was no way for Kise to escape from Kagami's searching look.

Kagami's expression softened as he asked gently, "What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing!" The answer came far too fast. Kise flinched slightly from the warning look on Kagami's face. He guiltily lowered his gaze, still unable to break free from the hold Kagami had on him. He worried his bottom lip before finally sighing heavily. "Alright, something. I don't think I'll be able to explain exactly what it is, though."

"Well, at least you're no longer in denial," Kagami's tone was teasing. He snickered when Kise gave him a half-hearted glare for that, before sobering up. "Why don't you at least try? I may not be smart, but at least I'm not exactly stupid either."

"No one is allowed to call you stupid, not even yourself." Kise murmured softly. Kagami only rolled his eyes to that before releasing the other. Kise squirmed slightly away after that, before looking up at Kagami's expectant eyes. "What do you want to know, Kagami-_cchi_?"

"I want to know what's bothering you, of course. You have been so distraught since yesterday. I'm guessing it has something to do with Aomine's injuries, but I can't exactly understand what about it that bothers you so."

"… Aomine saved my life," Kise answered in a whisper. He wasn't looking at Kagami as he said that. "Back then when we were attacked, I would have died if he was not there to help me. I owe him my life, Kagami-_cchi_ and it's so frustrating. I don't understand why he helped me. I'm just a spoil of war, right? So there really is no need for him to protect me. No one would blame him if I were killed, but he still risked his life to protect me. I just … can't understand anything about him. He's rude, arrogant and selfish. I want to keep hating him for what he'd done before, but it's hard to hate someone who had saved your life more than once."

"You're afraid your hatred for him will disappear."

"I'm afraid I will see him as a person and that I won't be able to kill him when I have the chance," Kise admitted softly. It was his deepest fear. He didn't want to lose his hatred for Aomine, because they were still enemies. Kise had no intention to yield and sooner or later, they would have to face each other in another fight. When that time came, Kise couldn't afford to hesitate in taking his opponent's life. The momentary peace they had right now wouldn't last. Sooner or later the war would continue and there was no escaping it. Kise didn't need conflicting feelings right now. He only need his hatred to assure him a way out of this situation.

"… I think I understand what you mean," Kagami hummed thoughtfully. He didn't exactly understand how Kise could see the barbaric Aomine as anything but pure annoyance, but he certainly understand the confusion Kise felt when hatred slowly dissipated and replaced by something even more unsettling instead. He had felt the same way towards Kuroko. At first, he had hated the man. He hated the monotonous voice, the blunt way he spoke, the expressionless face—everything. But days spent together with the other taught Kagami that Kuroko wasn't exactly annoying. He liked to tease Kagami, true, but he was also considerate and he had no qualm in working hard. Gradually, the hatred Kagami had was chipping away and he almost felt a certain kind of fondness towards Kuroko. Except, he knew he couldn't let this new feeling grew. Kagami still had hopes that he and Kise would be able to go back to Teikou and when that happened, they would once again become enemies with the Touou people.

Kise smiled ruefully. "We are in such a big mess, aren't we?"

That understatement startled a laugh out of Kagami. "Indeed, but I'm sure we'll be able to get through this. Akashi has always said that fate is created by the choices we take. So we'll take the right choices and everything will end well."

"And if they don't?"

"Then we will set it right with our own hands."

**xXXx**

Miles away from Touou, to the west of the land, a courier pigeon gently landed on a window sill. Its arrival had been expected by Takao Kazunari, who grinned at the little bird before taking the attached letter tied to the bird's leg. He didn't bother to open the letter though, because he knew it wasn't addressed for him. Instead, he turned around and walked away from the window. His light steps took him to another room, where Midorima Shintarou was waiting.

"Shin-_chan_, looks like the love letter you're waiting for has finally arrived!" Takao called out in sing-song voice.

Any other day, Midorima would have snapped at Takao for his ridiculous comment, but he had been waiting most anxiously for this letter that he forgot to be annoyed with Takao. He didn't even wait until Takao approach him, opting to meet him half way instead and take the letter from his hand. Careful eyes scanned the cryptic words scribbled on the letter. Takao would have tried to take a peek, but Midorima was too tall it was impossible for him to even see the letter. It didn't really bother him though, because he knew Midorima would always share important things with him.

"So, what did Akashi say, Shin-_chan_?" Takao inquired once Midorima had finished reading.

"They have come up with a plan," Midorima answered. He gave the letter back to Takao who took it but didn't bother to read it. He knew there was no way he would understand the code words that veiled the true message, anyway. It was something meant for Midorima's eyes only, which also implied that no one except for Midorima and Akashi knew how to decipher it. So Takao decided to look up at Midorima instead, hoping he would continue with an explanation—which he did, "We need to gather everyone in the court room now, Takao. Akashi didn't tell me the details of the plan, but he had asked us to prepare more men. I'm not sure I like where this is heading, though."

"Hey, I've told you to stop worrying too much," Takao said with fond exasperation. He gently reached out to grab Midorima's hands and simply cradle them in his. "I'm sure everything's going to be alright. Akashi is a great king. He will only choose the best way to settle the war. Besides, we're going to help too and you really shouldn't underestimate Shuutoku's knights, Shin-_chan_!"

"I'm not underestimating you, but—"

"No buts," Takao cut in before Midorima could express his worry. He gently put a finger on Midorima's lips, as if to silence him, and the grin on his face widened when Midorima closed his mouth in reflex. The grin softened into a gentle smile when they locked gazes. Midorima was genuinely worry. His eyes were filled with anxiety and it made Takao want to make everything right just for him. "Everything's going to be alright, Shin-_chan_," he repeated as he slowly stood on his tip-toes to brush his lips against Midorima's softly. He pulled back a moment later, still smiling gently as he said, "I'll make sure nothing goes wrong. I promise."

It was an empty promise, meant only to cease his worry. Midorima knew this well, because there was no one who believed in fate more than him. He knew man could only do so much. He knew that despite any of their best attempts, men would only be able to propose their wish, while God dispose it. Still, he appreciated the words. Takao had always tried to be there when Midorima needed him and, truly, there was nothing else Midorima could ask of him.

Without words, Midorima gently took his hands away from Takao, only to pull the smaller man into a loose hug. He rarely took an initiative in intimate gestures like this, but Midorima figured Takao deserved a reward right now. He buried his face on Takao's black strands, taking comfort in the familiar scent that was all Takao.

"Just promise me you will still be here after everything's over. I don't need any other promises."

Midorima could feel Takao's breath hitched, before arms slowly came up to hug him even tighter. Takao pressed his face to Midorima's chest and the warmth of Takao's breath could be felt even through his clothes. Still, Midorima stood wordlessly. He was waiting for an answer.

"I promise. I will be here, Shin-_chan_. After this and forever, I will be here beside you."

Finally, Midorima cracked a smile at that. He lightly kissed the top of Takao's head before releasing the other from their hug. Right after Takao had detached himself from him, Midorima turned around without words. The embarrassment of acting so boldly finally getting to him and it made him fidget nervously. He didn't want to be considered as a sap, but sometimes Takao made it impossible for him to act aloof all the time.

The tips of Midorima's ears were tinged red. Takao grinned as he saw that. "Shin-_chan _is all red in the face! That's cute."

"Shut up, Takao."

Takao did shut his mouth, but not before he snickered in amusement. He was grateful that Midorima had returned to his usual grumpy self though, and it was with a bounce on his steps that he followed Midorima out of their shared room. They headed towards the court room with the urgency to relay the new plan to other knights. The recent situation was quite dire. The tension between Teikou and Touou heightened up during the ceasefire and Takao was glad for the short sweet moment he still could share with Midorima. At the very least, it reminded Takao why he worked so hard to survive.

They walked in silence through the stone corridor, passing through the guards who saluted them with no words. However, from time to time Takao's hand would brush against Midorima in seemingly accidental way and it was quite enough for them.

* * *

**To be Continued …**


	16. Weak

**Conquered Hearts**

**Chapter 16 — Weak**

**Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story information.**

**A/N: **_I apologize for the extreme tardiness of this chapter. This seriously is the hardest chapter I've written up until now, because of various reasons. I will spare you all the excuses and just try to update faster next time. On the brighter side, I've finally graduated from my college. So hopefully I'll be able to write more now. __Thank you for all the reviews/follows/favorites, especially for the new readers of this story. I truly appreciate that and it always makes me very happy to know my story manages to gain so many people's interest. _

_Thank you for _guest, moooore, anoncchi, guest, thisiskanta, FullyFLUFFED, Vee _and_ Katie _for the non-signing reviews! _

**Warning: **_This chapter is self-edited._

* * *

"Weak!" Kagami snarled as he moved forward, sword moving dangerously and forcing Kuroko to defend using the round shield on his left hand. "Your grip on the sword is too weak! Grip tighter, but don't make your wrist tense! Don't lose your footing! Keep your eyes on your opponent!"

Each instruction was shouted closely after a dangerous attack. Kuroko's brows furrowed deeply, sweat making his hair stuck onto his face and his breaths were starting to come in short pants. The sun above them was merciless, the heat making concentrating even more difficult for Kuroko. Still, he tried to block Kagami's attacks to the best that he could, even though his hands were starting to tremble from the effort.

"Don't rely on defense! You must find an opening and try to attack me, Kuroko! Else, you'll just waste your stamina!"

Again, Kagami shouted out while his sword clashed against Kuroko's shield. He pushed down without holding back his power. Kagami knew there was no need for him to take this training seriously, but he had a feeling Kuroko wouldn't appreciate it if Kagami was going easy on him, despite how obviously weak the other man was compared to him. Kagami would have felt slightly guilty for working Kuroko this hard, but as he saw the obvious light of determination in Kuroko's eyes, he knew that Kuroko would be fine.

"You're letting your mind wanders, Kagami-_kun_," Kuroko spoke softly before using Kagami's distraction to his advantage and bent low only to kick at Kagami's legs.

The surprise move managed to hit Kagami. He cursed as he hastily stepped back, swaying for a moment before regaining his balance. His shin stung, but there was a satisfied smirk on his face. "Good to see you're finally taking my advice."

"Yes. I figured that's the only way to make you stop shouting at my face." Kuroko said flatly. "Can we stop this training now? I don't think I'll be able to stand for much longer."

Kagami snorted, but he relaxed his stance. "Fine. You look pale enough as it is. I don't want to be held responsible if you collapse here." He conceded.

"Thank you," Kuroko truly sounded grateful. Not a minute after, he was already sitting on the ground, his sword clattered out from his hold as he tried to catch his breaths. All of his body hurt. Never had Kuroko practiced this hard—he usually only practiced the basic of swordplay, knowing that he wasn't strong enough for a proper duel. He had always been relying on his misdirection whenever he was forced to join in a battle, but he was not naïve enough to think it would be able to help him forever. Thus, he was quite grateful with this training, even if Kagami truly was a merciless teacher.

"Are you alright?" Kagami frowned as he saw how exhausted Kuroko was.

"I will be alright," Kuroko reassured after swallowing down to fight against the nausea that had started to arise. "I just need a moment to recover."

"I'm surprised you can survive a battle with that stamina," Kagami sighed. He took dry clothes from a bench nearby and gave it to Kuroko, along with a water jug, grunting noncommittal when he heard a murmured thank you in return.

"I don't join in a battle often. It is not my expertise." Kuroko responded after taking his fill of water. The cold liquid was a blessing for his parched throat and he felt a little bit more like himself afterwards. "When I have no option but to join in, I always make sure to not catch the enemy's attention. It is very easy to do that when the others are too worried about their own lives."

Kagami lifted his brows. "Then why did you decide to reveal yourself to me back then? If you hadn't spoke up to me, I wouldn't have noticed you. You'd be able to kill me without trouble, yet you didn't do that. I've always been wondering what you were thinking back then."

There was no immediate answer forthcoming from Kuroko. He tilted his head to look up at Kagami silently, meeting the other's questioning gaze evenly, and he knew Kagami was sincerely puzzled. There was no resentment that Kuroko had expected in his question, only genuine bafflement. It made Kuroko smile faintly. Kagami was an honest man, who expected others to be the same. It was ridiculously foolish. Kuroko had no doubt Kagami wouldn't be able to survive long in Touou if left to his own device and yet that particular trait of him was what made Kuroko attracted to Kagami. Finding such a gullible person in Touou was a rarity.

"Stop staring at me like that. It's unnerving." Kagami frowned, resisting the urge to fidget on the balls of his feet.

The smile on Kuroko's face widened further. "I apologize. To answer your question, I didn't really have a reason. Just like what I've told you back then, you have good eyes. I just want to see them again. Also, I had a hunch that I was doing the right thing."

It was Kagami's turn to stare at Kuroko without words. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought Kuroko was joking. "A hunch. You were saving my life because of a hunch. That's ridiculous. You are not a Seer, are you?"

"A Seer?" Kuroko tilted his head slightly. "No. I have no Seer in my family line. Besides, Seers are supposed to be a myth."

"It is not a myth." Kagami felt he need to say that in defensive tone. He saw Kuroko quirked his brows at that, but other than that small change, the other's expression was still as empty as ever. He sighed, walking towards Kuroko and reaching out his hand. It was accepted and Kagami lifted Kuroko quite easily from the ground.

"So, it's true King Akashi is a Seer." Kuroko said in monotone once he had stood up on his feet once again. He received no answer from Kagami, but the frown that appeared between the red head's brows had already answered it. "That explains many of things. I have never met a Seer before. It may be interesting to meet with King Akashi."

Kagami barked a startled laugh. "You better stop thinking like that. After what your kingdom had done to Kise—and I, subsequently—my king will never forgive any of you. If, by chance, you actually meet him someday, it will most likely on the final battle, just before he kills you."

"Would you let that happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Would you let King Akashi kill me if that really happens?" Kuroko clarified, his tone filled only with curiousity as he stared at Kagami closely.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Kagami retorted in bafflement.

"Oh," slight disappointment seeped into Kuroko's voice. He turned around and bent down, taking his abandoned sword from the ground and effectively hiding his face from Kagami. Once he straightened up, he continued, "I just thought you wouldn't let that happen, considering how you had made a vow to kill me by your own sword. I apologize."

There was something foreign in Kuroko's voice. Except for the disappointment, Kagami could also detect hints of sadness and it made him furrow his brows deeper. It shouldn't have bothered Kagami, but for some unknown reasons it did.

When Kuroko turned around from him and started to walk away without words, Kagami's body moved on its own accords as he grabbed Kuroko's pale wrists. The touch made Kuroko stop, although he hadn't lifted his head to look at Kagami.

"I don't know what's bothering you," Kagami started. "but I was just saying the truth. If you became King Akashi's target, not even I would be able to help you," he paused, letting Kuroko absorbed his words. "Although ... I have no intention of breaking my vow."

Kuroko didn't once break their eye contact when Kagami spoke and he could only see sincerity in the other's eyes, just like what he had seen back in the battlefield. It made him smile. Kuroko didn't response to Kagami's words vocally, but he did nod and when he turned around once again, Kagami finally let him go.

**xXXx**

After their little training, Kuroko and Kagami returned to the soldier's wing. Out of habit, they immediately went to the kitchen, hoping to get some kind of refreshment. The kitchen was fairly empty when they stepped in. Riko and the other maids looked busy while the only soldier currently in there was just Hyuuga. This prompted Kagami to lift his brows as he approached the soldier.

"You're alone now, Hyuuga? Where's the others?"

"I'm currently off-duty. The others are still getting everything prepared for today. Have you heard? The Kaijou's party will finally arrive tonight."

"Ah, so that's why everybody has been very busy since this morning," Kagami lifted his gaze towards Riko who was hovering close to one stove. "Riko? Did you cook any of the foods today?"

Riko snorted. She turned around to give Kagami a half-hearted glare. "No. You don't have to sound so worry. I'm just helping the other girls. I'm not cooking anything by myself. We can't accidentally poisoned our guests now, can we?" Without waiting for an answer, Riko turned her attention to Kuroko. "Do you want something to eat, Kuroko-_sama_?"

"I will be grateful for snacks if it's not bothering you, Riko."

"Not at all. Although what I have will not be able to satisfy Kagami's growling stomach, I'm quite sure it will be enough for you," humming a cheerful tone under her breath, Riko turned around and disappeared somewhere deeper in the kitchen, leaving the men to talk with each other.

Kagami shared a look with Hyuuga. His eyes glinting with bafflement which was only returned with light shrug from the other. Hyuuga then gestured towards the empty chairs beside him and both Kagami and Kuroko took the silent offer.

"So, you two excited about the upcoming guests?"

"It's been a while since we last meet with the Kaijou royals. It will be interesting to see what had changed since then." Kuroko answered calmly. He wasn't particularly close with any of the Kaijou's royal members, but he had always loved to watch people from different kingdoms, to learn about their different cultures.

"I've never met any of them before," Kagami shrugged lightly. "I've heard about Kaijou kingdom once or twice, but since they were not Teikou's ally, I know basically nothing about them. I know they don't have good relationship with Teikou, but I don't know the exact reason for that."

"You really don't know? Weren't you supposed to be top notch on Teikou's military? How can you don't know the history between your kingdom and Kaijou?"

"Things like history and such never interested me much." He was more the type to gaze out of the window and wonder why he couldn't be outside whenever he was forced to attend history class. Himuro, on the other hand, was the scholar type who would always take note of what their tutor said. Kagami never thought much about it, but as he settled in Touou, he realized that was a mistake. He would be spared lots of embarrassment if only he was paying attention to his cultural lessons.

"Well," Hyuuga drawled, stretching his arms above his head idly. There was faint sound of bones popping back to place as he did that and Kagami wondered how long he had been sitting there. "it's an old story, actually. If I remember correctly, it happened few generations back—five or six generations back, to be exact. It's kind of funny how people still hold grudge over an old tale like that."

Before he could continue, Riko had come back with a bowl of cookies and two cups of tea, which she placed in front of Kagami and Kuroko who murmured their thanks. The maid only flashed them a smile before returning to the bustling activity in the kitchen. They were once again left alone.

"So, what's the tale?" After taking sip of his tea, Kagami tilted his head towards Hyuuga, prompting the other to continue his story.

"Ah, right. You see, Kaijou and Teikou hadn't always been adversaries. In the old times, they were actually allies. Then, a big war happened in the nation, which by that time still had many small kingdoms lusting for more powers. Teikou then asked Kaijou to be decoy in one of the battles that currently happened. As ally, Kaijou agreed to help and Teikou promised they would come to back them up in that battle.

"However, what happened was the exact opposite. There was no help coming from Teikou and Kaijou troops were outnumbered. They had been outnumbered since the beginning, but they still went into the battle thinking Teikou would aid them in the end. When help didn't come, Kaijou king was devastated and furious. He had seen his soldiers being killed over misplaced trust. It didn't take long for him to order a retreat, trying to desperately save some of the soldiers who were still alive. After that, Kaijou cut all ties with Teikou. The breaching of agreement was unforgivable. The grudge was passed within generations and as you can see, nothing has changed about it even now."

"So basically you're saying they become enemies because old men's quarrel? That's ridiculous."

"Indeed it is, but you should remember how conservative the monarchs are. They won't just forget an old grudge like that."

"But time should have changed everything," Kagami pointed out. It was ridiculous for holding on to a grudge so old it almost became a legend. "The situation is different now and only mindless people will continue the tradition without questioning the reason behind that."

"Well, the current Kaijou's king is old, so it really is not surprising he will continue the old ways," Kuroko said, finally putting in his thought. "if someone from the royal actually has the bravery to change tradition, it may be Prince Yukio. He always dislikes pointless adversary, after all."

"Finally someone who has common sense. It'll be nice if he actually becomes the king soon."

Hyuuga smirked. "As it was said, the current Kaijou's king is old. I think your wish may actually come true sooner than you think."

"Hyuuga-_san_, that words can be considered as subtle plotting of treason." Kuroko's voice cut into their conversation, making both Kagami and Hyuuga turned towards him with a slightly sheepish expression. They had almost forgotten about the other man.

"I assure you we're just talking, Sir Kuroko. There's no harm done."

A small smile quirked Kuroko's lips. He finished his drink before standing up. "Then I have nothing to worry about. Let's go back, Kagami-_kun_. We shall take some rest unless we want to miss the big event tonight."

To be honest, Kagami certainly had no regret even if he missed the 'big event', but he was curious about the Kaijou royals so for this once, he decided to obey Kuroko without much complaints. He simply nodded before following the smaller man out of the kitchen, after saying goodbyes to both Hyuuga and Riko.

**xXXx**

"Thank you for the training today, Kagami-_kun_." Kuroko said politely once they had arrived in front of his room. Kagami had always walked with him to his room first before going back to his own room in the soldier's wing. At first, it was because Kuroko had asked him to, but now it had become a routine that Kagami no longer thought about it—or protesting vocally.

"Ah, it's not a problem. You've improved quite a lot today, but don't let it go over your head. Tomorrow's training is going to be harder." Smirking a little, Kagami waited for Kuroko to get into his room. However, as time passed, the smaller man only looked up at him with a faint smile on his face, apparently content with where he was. Kagami lifted his brows. "Well? Aren't you going to get in and rest?"

"Actually, I was hoping we can talk a little bit more. Would you mind if you accompany me for a while longer, Kagami-_kun_?"

The request was unusual. Kuroko had never bothered to ask Kagami to stay before, most likely because he knew Kagami would refuse the request and he was about to do just that, but Kuroko's eyes were gazing up at him innocently and somehow, Kagami had the urge to please the other. Before he knew it, he was already nodding his head and the smile on Kuroko's face widened a little bit.

The smile seemed to transform Kuroko's face completely. It was a rarity to see Kuroko changed his expression and this smile made Kagami feel embarrassed for some reason. He almost didn't hear Kuroko's soft spoken thank you before the teal haired man finally turned around and entered his room, leaving the door wide open for Kagami.

For a moment, he hesitated. Kuroko's room was an unchartered area and he might even break so many rules he didn't know of once he stepped a foot into the room. But he had given his agreement and Kagami was not the type of person who would go back against his words. So he took a deep breath to steel himself before walking into the room and closing the door behind him.

He didn't know what he expected, but Kuroko's room was surprisingly plainer than he originally thought. There was only a single bed, a small, round bedside table which held a lone candelabra and closed book on top of it, a long plain wooden desk on the other side of the room, and a wooden drawer. The room was so plain, Kagami wouldn't be surprised if people thought it was inhabited at first sight. The only personal thing Kagami could see was Kuroko's thin sword and armor which was placed atop of the long wooden table.

"How can you even sleep in a room like this? Even my room looks livelier than this."

"The only thing I need to sleep is a bed, Kagami-_kun_. As you can see, there's one comfortable bed here, so I think that should answer your question. Please, sit down. I don't have any chair though, so you will have to sit on the bed."

Kagami could feel the corner of his eyes twitch in irritation. Sometimes, Kuroko could be so blunt it made Kagami want to hit his head. He knew nothing would be achieved from doing that, so he grudgingly did as Kuroko told him to. With caution clear in his movement, Kagami sat down on the edge of the bed and was quite surprised when the mattress sank down softly under his weight. If anything, the bed was really comfortable.

Once he managed to assure himself there would be no strange trick coming for him, Kagami slowly let his body relax. "What do you want to talk about, Kuroko?"

There was no immediate answer from Kuroko. Kagami took a glance at the man, wondering what he was doing, only to promptly turn his gaze down to his lap. Red blush tinted Kagami's cheeks and he berated himself for his own curiosity. Kuroko was changing his clothes and he didn't even have the decency to do that in a separate room. Despite his best effort to do otherwise, Kagami couldn't get the image of Kuroko's naked skin he managed to catch out of his mind.

"Actually, I want to ask about your family, Kagami-_kun_." The answer came after several minutes delay and Kagami concluded Kuroko had finished changing. He still didn't dare to look up, until he finally felt the bed sink deeper from the additional weight beside him. When Kuroko's soft voiced inquiry reached his ears, Kagami finally looked up at the other, only to find two clear sky blue eyes looking at him evenly. "That is, of course, if you don't mind me asking."

"It depends on what you will use the information for." Kagami answered after clearing his throat to get rid of his own embarrassment.

"I won't use it for anything. I just want to know you better and I admit I have always been curious about the other kingdoms' culture."

"You can find things like that from any historical book."

"Books can never beat firsthand experience retelling, Kagami-_kun_. And as I've said, I wanted to know you better. I want to know what you personally thought of each Teikou's royal member. I want to know what makes Teikou special for you. I want to know why you love your kingdom so much. I can't find things like that from any book."

It had always amazed Kagami how Kuroko could say things that most people would consider embarrassing without even batting an eye. Moreover, the smaller man was always sincere in everything he said. Even now, Kagami knew Kuroko truly meant every word he said. He would never use the information Kagami might give to him for anything except personal satisfaction. That, once again, made it harder for Kagami to truly see Kuroko as his enemy.

"… Why do you want to know me better?" the question just came out before Kagami could think about it. He saw how Kuroko's eyes widened for a fraction of second at the unexpected question and narrowed his own eyes. "I hope you're not forgetting that we are still basically enemies and it won't be easy for me to forgive and forget. It'd be best if we kept our relationship as it is."

Silence fell between them as Kuroko ruminated Kagami's words. He could see the merit of keeping their relationship as it was—because then if the worst happened, none of them would feel truly hurt—but although his logic wanted him to agree with Kagami, deep inside his heart Kuroko knew he couldn't do that. He had spent a lot of time with the red head and through time, he had seen what kind of person Kagami was and it only made him even more interested with the other. There was a certain fondness he felt for Kagami now and it almost similar with what he felt towards Aomine and Momoi, only slightly different.

"I can't keep our relationship as it is, Kagami-_kun_," he kept his gaze even as he said that. "because I can no longer see you as a mere interesting stranger. What I feel towards you has become more than that and I can never return to the past."

It was impossible for Kagami to hold back the blush that appeared on his cheeks then. He glared to hide the sheer embarrassment he felt, but Kuroko just curved his lips into a small, knowing smile, and Kagami knew his façade was useless. "Do you even realize how embarrassing your words are?"

"Sometimes," the teasing glint was back in Kuroko's eyes and Kagami wanted to hit his own head because seeing that glint right now actually made him feel quite relieved.

"Fine, but I don't promise to give answer to all of your questions." Kagami finally gave in with a small grumble. The frown on his face immediately disappeared once he saw yet another bright smile lightening up Kuroko's face and inwardly he actually felt glad. Because it was not only Kuroko's feeling about their relationship that had changed. Just like what he had said to Kise, Kagami had also considered the smaller man as friend and although his pride prevented him to saying it out loud, he rather liked seeing Kuroko's rare smiles.

**xXXx**

The sun was setting in unbearably slow pace. Aomine was getting bored watching the blue sky slowly tainted by the red of the evening. He had nothing to do since Sakurai had told him not to do anything reckless and with the upcoming arrival of Kaijou, he wasn't even in the mood to get out of his room. He would have visited Kise, but he was not ready yet to answer the questions the blond would surely have. He had polished his broadsword until he could see his own reflection on it and he was seriously considering taking an exercise in his room—Sakurai's order be damned—when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in!" Aomine shouted with much relief. Any distraction was a blessing for him right now.

"That's quite an enthusiastic response, Aomine-_kun_."

Snorting, Aomine nevertheless moved from his perched position on the window sill and approached Kuroko. "I almost die out of boredom here. Excuse me for being glad by your visit." He took in the formal attire Kuroko wore and the excitement he felt dampen almost immediately. Aomine groaned, "I take it back. I'd rather be bored than getting prepared for a _lovely _dinner with my brother and the old geezer."

"It is impolite to call Kaijou's king as old geezer, Aomine-_kun_," Kuroko reprimanded evenly. He ignored the way Aomine rolled his eyes and walked towards the prince's wardrobe instead. He pulled open the drawer and started to take out the attires Aomine would wear in the dinner tonight. "Having an alliance with Kaijou will be beneficial to the kingdom. You should at least make some effort to look presentable."

"You and I both know this so-called negotiation is useless." Sighing, Aomine nevertheless didn't say anything more as Kuroko lie the clothes he'd have to wear on his bed. "Don't you have anything more interesting to tell me, Tetsu?"

"Will it interest you if I said I met Kise-_san _the day after your attack?"

At the words, Aomine immediately perked up. "You did? How was he? What were you talking about?"

Kuroko paused from what he was doing to turn around and just _look _at Aomine. There was not a hint of teasing smile or mocking glint in his expression, but still Aomine scoffed as if Kuroko had injured his pride somehow. He was clearly not fooled by Kuroko's blank expression and it made the other crack a faint smile. "Yes, I did. He was alright the last time I saw him. We did not talk much, but he was inquiring of your health."

The thought of Kise worrying about him made the corners of Aomine's lips twitch upwards. However, the smile was gone almost as fast as it appeared, only to be replaced with a frown instead. "He didn't ask about the assassins, did he?"

"No, he did not," Kuroko answered promptly, knowing exactly what Aomine implied with that question. The air around them shifted into something more unpleasant. They both knew—or at least had a good guess—who had sent the assassins, but to bring that up would always make the situation uncomfortable.

"Good." Aomine responded curtly with a sharp nod. "It's not a problem outsider should know and he had nothing to do with it."

"I'm afraid not all people has the same opinion as you, Aomine-_kun_. I've heard some of the soldiers speculating of his involvement in that accident. Although, up until now, no one has dared to confront him directly about that."

Aomine's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Under no condition he's to be harmed by anyone. Spread that order around and report to me immediately if anyone dares to confront or threaten him in any way."

"Understood, my liege," Kuroko accepted with a nod. He made a mental note to inform Kagami and Hyuuga about this. They would be able to spread the order to the other soldiers better than him. Aomine looked quite relieved by his easy acceptance and Kuroko took that chance to speak up once again, "May I ask something as your friend, my prince?"

Wariness immediately entered Aomine's eyes at the question. Usually, Kuroko would do just that without bothering to ask for permission. So he knew this time what his old friend had in mind must be very serious or had the potential to make him angry. Most likely, it was both. Still, Aomine replied, "You know I will always give you permission for that. What is it?"

"If we lose in this war, if—by chance—King Imayoshi becomes incapable of ruling, will you accept the throne or will you still refuse it?"

Aomine's breath caught in his throat. He wanted to scoff and tell Kuroko to stop saying impossible things, but the blue sky eyes that looked back at him was calm and even. It made escaping impossible. Besides, it was a valid question. Aomine wouldn't fool himself by thinking this war could be ended without the death of a king—be it Akashi's or his own brother's—and there would always be the chance where he did survive and if that happened, the throne would be given to him.

Would he still be refusing the responsibility running in his blood by then? Aomine wanted to say no, but ruling a fallen kingdom after a war was harder than ruling in peaceful times. Small conflicts would surely arise. People who lost their family and home must be consoled. The responsibility Aomine had would be far greater than that of Imayoshi's and that wasn't exactly the ideal situation for a new king to be crowned.

"When that time comes, I won't have the privilege of choosing, Tetsu." Because he would never let his kingdom crumble from the absence of a ruler. His lips twisted into a rueful smile. "Although, you should also consider what will happen if both Shouichi and I died in the war. I believe you will not let the kingdom fall."

"I promise you, I will support her until the end, Aomine-_kun_." Kuroko replied without hesitation. In the situation where both Aomine and Imayoshi were incapable of ruling, the throne would fall to Momoi, who had been selected by the king himself. That was the main reason why she, despite her young age, had been placed as the king's advisor. She certainly had the skill for that, but it was also to groom her as a queen if the worst happened.

"What about you? What will you do once this war is over?"

"I will continue on living as always," Kuroko answered immediately. He didn't need to think about that. "It's a rare chance to see a war ending and if I'm given that chance, I will cherish it. Perhaps then people will listen to me when I said war always brings more pain than happiness."

It was not surprising to hear Kuroko said that. Ever since the day he met Kuroko, Aomine had always known his friend hated the thought of war. People in Touou generally could be divided into three categories. One was them who loved to shed blood and thus support the monarch's way of enlarging the kingdom by conquering lands. Second was those who had seen the damage the war caused for their country and hated it. Then there was the minority of people who were indifferent with it. Kuroko certainly fell to the second category and Aomine was glad for that.

"If it was not for you and Satsuki, perhaps I'd have turned out just like my brother."

Kuroko quirked a brow. This time, he didn't bother to hide the teasing smile from his face. It was not every day Aomine gave in to his sentimental side and when that happened, Kuroko always could read between the lines. "I know and you're welcome, Aomine-_kun_."

* * *

**To be Continued …**


End file.
